Police Name 2 Northern Regional Jail Employees Killed in West Union Wreck

November 5, 2010 - West Union, W.Va. - Authorities have released the names of the deceased victims of a fatal three-vehicle accident that occurred in West Union on Tuesday.

The Charleston Gazette reports that the crash happened at the intersection of W.Va. 18 and U.S. 50 in West Union. The van was driving along the roadway when it was struck by a rock truck. According to West Virginia State Police Sergeant W.S. Vessels, the van travelled into the path of the rock truck. A third vehicle was also involved.

The two occupants of the van, John Mayfield, 24, of New Martinsville, and Valarie Fortesque, 31, of Wheeling, were both killed in the crash. Both were employees of Northern Regional Jail.

The driver of the rock truck and the driver of the third vehicle were injured in the crash. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time.

Officials at the jail stated that Mayfield was a correctional officer and Fortesque was a switchboard operator. The two were headed to a training program at the West Virginia Corrections Academy in Glenville at the time of the accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2009 West Virginia Crash Statistics show that there were 356 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.

If you or a family member has been named in this blog and you would like the information to be removed please contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request.