JAMES CITY COUNTY — A local woman is dead and another person was injured on Fenton Mill Road in James City County Tuesday evening after swerving to avoid a head-on collision.
According to James City County, at approximately 9 p.m. on Dec. 10, its Police and Fire Departments responded to the crash in the 4600 block of Fenton Mill Road. Upon arrival, officers discovered a damaged Ford Taurus off the roadway in a ditch. Two occupants were inside the vehicle, both requiring immediate medical attention, officials said.
The department’s Traffic Unit assumed responsibility for the investigation, and preliminary findings indicated that the Taurus was traveling westbound on Fenton Mill Road in low-visibility conditions when it encountered a Ford Escape stopped in the westbound lane and facing the wrong direction with active headlights. Officials said in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, the driver of the Ford Taurus swerved and exited the roadway, sideswiping the Escape and coming to rest in the ditch.
The passenger of the Taurus, 61-year-old Astrid Wagenaar-Otey of James City County, was unresponsive at the scene. James City County Medics administered life-saving measures before transporting her to Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced deceased, the county said. The driver of the Taurus sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also transported to Sentara Williamsburg for treatment.
The crash remains under investigation, and the Department is consulting with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to determine appropriate charges, if any, based on its findings, the county said.
Fenton Mill Road was closed for approximately three hours while the scene was processed.
