‘It looked very horrendous’: Back-to-back crashes on Staples Mill Road raise safety concerns

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A deadly crash and a multi-car pileup just one day apart are raising concerns for residents along Staples Mill Road in Henrico County.

"It looked very horrendous," said Henrico resident Shonda, who came upon Monday's crash aftermath. "You could tell nobody survived, the car was mangled."

Henrico Police say 46-year-old Tony Darrell was killed Monday evening, when the white car he was driving slammed into a power pole at the intersection of Hungary Spring and Staples Mill Road around 6:30 p.m.

"I am scared, I’m having to redirect my route to go to work," Shonda said, "People shouldn't be losing their lives."

The chaos didn’t end there, the next day at the intersection of Staples Mill and Hungary Road, a three-car crash sent one person to the hospital, after Henrico Police had to extract them from a vehicle.

"I hear sirens probably weekly," said Stacie Kines, who has lived in the neighborhood for six years. "I can see the red lights flashing here at the intersection of Hungary, Hungary Springs, for car accidents that happen quite frequently."

Kines said her Tuesday commute was a stark reminder of how serious these crashes can be.

"Yesterday morning, when I left for work, I was right there where the fatal accident had happened, and there was still debris in the road. It was just kind of a heavy moment, thinking someone had just lost their life 12 hours earlier," Kines shared.

So far this year, at least seven other crashes have been reported in the same area.

Both Kines and Shonda said they hope the back-to-back incidents are a wake-up call for drivers.

"Hopefully, people will slow down," Kines said, "Because if you get in an accident, you're not getting anywhere."