Teen killed in Old Bridge crash
Shelby B. Nicholson
Published: January 7, 2009
Updated: January 8, 2009
A 16-year-old Woodbridge High School student was killed and three others injured Wednesday in a crash that shut down Old Bridge Road in Lake Ridge for three hours.
Police said Shelby B. Nicholson of Wainscott Place in Lake Ridge was pronounced dead at the scene.
One person was taken to the hospital in critical condition, while two others suffered injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.
The crash happened between Old Bridge and Forest Hill roads just after 4:30 p.m.
Police said the 16-year-old driver of a 2005 Chevy Aveo was traveling west on Old Bridge Road when she lost control, crossed the median and struck a 2005 Lincoln Navigator SUV.
Some of the people involved in the crash were trapped in their cars and one of the vehicles caught fire, a fire and rescue spokesman said.
Nicholson was in the passenger seat of the Aveo.
The 22-year-old driver of the Lincoln Navigator and a 51-year-old woman in the passenger’s seat were taken to the hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.
Police shut down eastbound lanes of Old Bridge Road for more than three hours after the crash. Major arteries in the area, such as Minnieville Road and Prince William Parkway, backed up for miles.
Motorists eastbound on Old Bridge Road were forced to make a U-turn on Oakwood Drive during the investigation. Police asked motorists to avoid the area if they could.
The crash happened between the two intersections, where the road slopes down a hill into a stream bed.
The crash was the second accident in the area of Old Bridge Road and Colby Drive in less than 24 hours.
No charges have been filed and police are investigating the accident.
Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.
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Reader Reactions
Even if you were to “hit a wet spot or puddle” it should not matter if you are driving slower since it is a wet road. If what you said were true every puddle I drive in I am going to wreck. Give me a break, you are just finding an excuse to make you feel better about this. It is sad but that is why cars have breaks.
For one not all drivers are reckless there. And also, we lost a person at Woodbridge, and we have a good friend in the hospital also, because of it. It is really tradgic and
I will be praying for both families, and look forward to the girl in the hospital to come back.
Please be safe on driving on old bridge please. Not just for teens for everybody.
Now that we’ve seen what it can really do to one of our classmates [ if you go to woodbridge] it’ll make you think twice about this.
Shelby will be missed dearly
Natalie i hope will pull in there.
I really don’t think this is the time to talk about the girl’s driving. Any driver who goes down that road knows how hard it is on a rainy day. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are. If you hit a wet spot or puddle, you can lose control. With as many accidents that happen on this exact spot on rainy days, something needs to be done. Just pray that she pulls through this and her and her family don’t need people putting blame on her driving.
You say that the county needs to lower the speed limit on that stretch of road, but what if people just simply slowed down. Speed limits are decided by a number of different factors, so by having the speed limit at 45 that county has already decided that 45 is a safe speed to travel on old bridge. It is sad that this happened but what if the driver just slowed down? That is what happens when you mix no experience with wet roads. Maybe she was not responsible enough to drive?
My friend was in that car. Luckily, she didn’t die. But please,please,please pray for her, the other girls and their families.
That stretch of Old Bridge Road is dangerous no matter who’s driving but inclement weather makes it worse. My son & 2 others were involved in a similar accident at the same location, with the same rainy type weather conditions not to long ago. They had their seatbelt on. Thankfully no one was hurt. Minimally maybe if VDOT/county lowers the speed limit on that stretch it will help reduce the number of accidents until possibly they are able to figure something else out?
This is a very sad thing that a young HS student lost her life.
The “S” curve on Old Bridge really needs to have something done to straighten it out.
About 6 months ago, in the same local I was involved in an accident, when a young lady from WSHS came across the median strip.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the young ladies family.
Sadly, this is not surprising. It is unbelievable how fast and reckless people drive in between Colby Dr and Oakwood along this stretch of Old Bridge.
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