Fatal crash on Route 13 south of Cape Charles involved entrapment, multi-agency response

Emergency crews from across the Eastern Shore responded Monday evening to a serious crash involving a passenger vehicle and a tractor-trailer on Lankford Highway near Royal Farms in Cape Charles.

According to information released by the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department, the Eastern Shore 911 Communications Center dispatched the incident on June 8 as a motor vehicle crash with injuries. The call was later upgraded to an accident with entrapment after reports indicated a southbound passenger vehicle had collided with the trailer of a tractor-trailer that was turning into the Royal Farms parking lot from the northbound lanes.

Officials said the passenger vehicle struck the trailer at highway speeds and became lodged underneath it. Responding units from Northampton County EMS and the Cheriton and Cape Charles volunteer fire departments confirmed that occupants of the vehicle were trapped inside.

After learning of the severity of the crash, the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department contacted the incident commander and advised that it had specialized heavy-lift rescue equipment that could assist in freeing the occupants. Rescue specialists from Onancock responded along with personnel from Accomack County Department of Public Safety and members of the Eastern Shore Technical Rescue Team.

However, officials said the operation shifted from rescue efforts to recovery efforts before the specialized equipment arrived at the scene.

Following the completion of the Virginia State Police investigation, personnel from Onancock’s Rescue 9 assisted the Cheriton Volunteer Fire Department in lifting the tractor-trailer and removing the vehicle from beneath it.

Emergency crews remained on scene for more than five hours.

Agencies responding to the incident included Virginia State Police, Nightingale Air Ambulance, Northampton County EMS, the Cheriton, Cape Charles and Onancock volunteer fire departments, Virginia Department of Transportation, Accomack County Department of Public Safety and the Cape Charles Police Department.

Virginia State Police have not yet released additional details regarding the victims or the cause of the crash, but they have confirmed there was a fatality.