VIRGINIA BEACH — Sheriff’s jail officials here said a local man died while in their custody Thursday.
The man’s identity was not immediately released, pending notification of his family.
The 66-year-old man was booked into the Virginia Beach Jail Wednesday on one misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated (second offense within 5-10 years), according to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office.
The man, authorities said, was involved in a two-vehicle crash shortly before noon Wednesday in the 2500 block of Pacific Avenue.
He was taken to a hospital, and after being cleared by doctors was booked into jail shortly after 5 p.m. that same day – authorities said the man was denied bond by a magistrate.
“The occupants of the second vehicle involved in the crash – one adult and one child – also suffered serious, but not life-threatening,” said Kathy Hieatt, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
“As with all newly admitted inmates, he was screened by the jail’s medical staff,” Hieatt said. “At about 11:15 p.m., it became evident to jail staff that the individual was in need of additional medical care and he was transported via ambulance to a hospital.”
Hieatt said the man “was pronounced dead by a doctor at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital at about 4:30 a.m.” Thursday.
“His cause of death was blunt force trauma to the chest as a result of injuries suffered in the crash, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Norfolk,” Hieatt said, adding foul play is not suspected.
Virginia Beach Police and Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Professional Standards Office are investigating.
The death, Hieatt said, was reported to the Virginia Department of Corrections.
