©2010 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Cars narrow to one lane on 151 in Greenfield passing a sign (lower left) marking the spot where 48 year old Laura Cavedo and her two daughters were killed in August of 2007.

Greenfield
Nelson County, Virginia
Three years ago this August 30th, Laura Cavedo and her two daughters, Elschen and Iliana, were killed at the intersection of Route 151 and Greenfield Road (635) while waiting to make a left hand turn. The three were going back and forth to Crozet, moving things into their new home from Shannon Farm.

The accident scene, August 30, 2007, where Laura Cavedo and her two daughters were killed.

The triple fatality, three of five that year on 151, prompted residents to have something done about the rural and winding two lane highway that sees accidents weekly, some fatal. Speed limits were reduced to 45 MPH on a large section of the highway. The move appears to have greatly reduced fatalities on the highway. Local Board Of Supervisors and VDOT reacted to public pressure that something be done to the intersection after Laura Cavedo was shoved head on into an oncoming van while waiting to turn left on to Greenfield Road. There was no left hand turn lane at the intersection. A Ruckersville man was eventually sentenced to 90 days in jail in connection with rear end collision killing the mother and daughters.

Within the past two weeks, the culmination of all of those changes has started taking place with improvements to the intersection and stretches of Route 151 both north and south of Greenfield Road. Drivers have no doubt noticed traffic being reduced to one lane starting just north of Ashley’s Market and continuing south for about 2/10’s of a mile. Despite severe budget cuts, the intersection improvement were tagged as a top priority by VDOT for improvement. After months of engineering studies and preparation, the work began in late June 2010.

According to the information displayed on the VA511.org website, the construction is expected to continue until at least Mid-September. Click on the image above to enlarge.

©2009 NCC-29 WVIR-TV News Charlottesville : Screen grab courtesty of NBC-29.

Crossroads-North Garden
Albemarle County, Virginia

Updated 10.23.09 2:30 PM
NBC-29 has posted more information and video from Thursday night’s accident here on their website. Click here.

Earlier post from Thursday night
We have very few details tonight, but have learned that an auto accident on Route U.S. 29 North at Plank Road (Crossroads) in Albemarle County has left one person dead according to news and witness accounts. The roadway was closed for about an hour and a half while authorities worked the accident. NCL received phone calls and text messages from people stuck in the traffic snarl as the accident was happening.

CBS-19 in Charlottesville reports, click here.

The general area of the fatal accident just inside the Nelson County, Virginia Line on US 29 South of the Albermarle County Line. Map courtesy of www.google.com

U.S. 29 Southbound
Near the Albermarle-Nelson County, Virginia Line

Updated 12:35PM EST
NCL Web Edition has confirmed a multiple a two person fatality auto accident is currently being worked on Route U.S. 29 Southbound just inside Nelson County, Virginia south of the Albermarle County Line. “As I understand it, this was a car that flipped over down an embankment and there are two fatalities. Another victim is being flown out by Pegasus,” Nelson County Sheriff, David Brooks told NCL just before noon Sunday. Brooks says information is very fluid right now and hard facts are few at the moment. The sheriff went on to say he believes the car has out of state tags in it and is not local. His officers in addition to Virginia State Police, (VSP) and other area agencies are on the scene at this hour.

©2009 NCL Web Edition : The scene on U.S. 29 near the Nelson/Albemarle line.

A medical examiner has been called to the scene by VSP which confirms preliminary information that it is a fatal accident.

Route 56 East in Wingina : Map courtesty of www.google.com

Wingina
Nelson County, Virginia
Authorities are investigating a weekend fatality that happened just before midnight Saturday in Wingina. That’s a few miles east of Lovingston and Shipman in Eastern Nelson County, Virginia. “The car apparently veered off of the road and hit a tree, then burst into flames,” Sheriff David Brooks tells NCL. A body was found inside the car after the blaze was extinguished. The sheriff says the body was sent to Richmond for an autopsy and positive identification before the name is released to the public.

The exact cause of the accident is not known at this time.