2 Children Die in Fatal I-79 Accident in Clendenin

August 18, 2010 - Clendenin, W. Va. - Two children lost their lives Tuesday morning when a minivan overturned on Interstate 79 in Clendenin. Four other individuals were injured in the crash.

The Charleston Gazette reports that the accident occurred at around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday close to the Clendenin exit on Interstate 79. Carla Aiken, 36, of Prospect, Pa., was driving her Mazda MPV along the Interstate when she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle then flipped several times before stopping in the median.

Of the 6 people in the minivan at the time of the accident, 2 have died. Hailey Weiland, 6, and Logan Beckwith, 7, were both ejected from the vehicle on impact and pronounced dead at the scene. Neither child was wearing a seatbelt when the vehicle crashed.

Aiken and 3 passengers were transported to CAMC General Hospital following the accident. Ethan Beckwith, 10, suffered minor injuries in the crash. Aiken and Christopher Gardner, 27, are said to be in serious condition. Hazel Hillard, 74, remains in critical condition.

According Lieutenant Sean Crosier of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department, the 6 people involved in the crash are believed to be related, but this cannot yet be confirmed. The accident remains under investigation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 West Virginia Crash Statistics show that there were 380 fatalities as a result of car accidents in West Virginia.

In an effort to raise awareness of common factors in serious and fatal car accidents in West Virginia, our firm routinely publishes news items about traffic crashes in our region.

Common West Virginia accidents include, but are not limited to:

• single-car crashes;
• tractor-trailer accidents;
• accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• distracted driver crashes.

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