Child killed in 2-vehicle crash
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By Elisa Glushefski
Published: May 12, 2008
An 8-year-old Warrenton boy was killed in a two-vehicle crash allegedly caused by a drunken driver early Sunday morning, Prince William County police said.
A 2004 Honda Odyssey was stopped in the left turn lane at the traffic light on Lee Highway at Somerset Crossing Drive in Gainesville when a 1998 Toyota Tacoma drifted into the Honda’s lane lane, rear-ending it, said Officer Erika Hernandez, police spokeswoman.
Joshua Adams, 8, had been lying in the back seat and was not wearing a seat belt. He flew forward into the center console, causing severe injuries, Hernandez said.
Joshua, who lived on Westmoreland Drive in Warrenton, and his 52-year-old mother, also a passenger in the van, were flown to an area hospital.
He was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m. Sunday, police said.
His 20-year-old brother, who was driving the Odyssey, was treated at the scene for his injuries, police said.
The driver of the pickup truck, 22-year-old Rodney Aaron Martin, was transported to a local hospital and treated for his injuries, Hernandez said.
Martin, of 9013 Quarry St. in Manassas, was later charged with driving under the influence, police said. He was released on a magistrate’s summons and has a June 13 court date.
The investigation continues.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( sm2321 ) on May 20, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I know this guy that was driving the truck and yes it is very very sad but this man does have a good heart and i know that he is dieing right now. the boy is already peaceful in heaven but aaron will be forever living with this guilt and sadness.
Posted by ( AngelGirl ) on May 17, 2008 at 12:59 pm
My heart goes out to both families. If you read the updated article that was posted though, you would know that he is being held at the jail, and has been there since Sunday afternoon.
Posted by ( rightwing ) on May 16, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hello! Did anyone notice the last two sentences of the story. He was released on a summons. He killed a little boy because he was stupid and drunk, hurt two others and who cares if he hurt himself. And he’s back on the streets and as we know the law doesn’t apply to him, so he very well could drive again.
Posted by ( pwc94 ) on May 15, 2008 at 3:45 pm
My heart goes out to this family. Obviously it was the drunk driver who was at fault here, but Joshua might have lived if his parents had buckled him into a seat belt. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., and it’s tragic that so many lives are lost because of failure to do one simple thing that takes two seconds.
Posted by ( kckat ) on May 15, 2008 at 3:36 am
I know this young man who made this terrible mistake and he has been on a road to destruction for a long time. It is a shame that he didn’t heed the advice of those who knew him and shared with him. Some people just feel they are invincible. I hope that he has learned a valuable lesson but unfortunately so many like him do not. My heart goes out to the family and friends of this young boy whose life has been taken prematurely and unnecessarily.
Posted by ( mom2mjnc ) on May 14, 2008 at 11:01 am
For a DWI, your license automatically is suspended for one week. (But they don’t take your vehicle away, so it’s up to you if you decide to drive.) If you’ll drive drunk (TWICE)I would assume you’d drive anyway, even if you DO have a suspended license. The court date is usually a few weeks to months later. It’s that whole “due process” “Innocent until proven guilty” thing. It stinks...but it’s the law. THe flip side of that horrific story is that he’ll have to live with the fact that he took a boys life-- for as long as HE lives. My prayers go out to the family. I hope someday, they can at least find peace.
Posted by ( hazeleyes71 ) on May 13, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I know the mother personally. My heart aches over your teribble loss, Mom, Dad, and family. Joshua was such a cute little boy. You are in my prayers, now and henceforth.
Posted by ( khader1955 ) on May 13, 2008 at 5:05 pm
THIS WAS HIS SECOND OFFENSE. SOMEONE SHOULD CHECK THE MAGISTRATE AND FIND OUT WHAT HE IS DOING. DOES HE CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF P.W. COUNTY RESIDENT THAT PAYS HIS SALARY
Posted by ( dking ) on May 13, 2008 at 3:00 pm
this was the drunk drivers second offense - at 22 years old - and they told him to come back in June - what is that? the system doesn’t seem to be taking this situation seriously....
Posted by ( VA_Fireman ) on May 13, 2008 at 12:39 pm
It’s sad that this child died in an accident because of his mother’s negligence by not putting him in a carseat or buckling him in. Being a firefighter in the county, I see accidents all the time where people get ejected and die because of not wearing their seatbelts, but that’s their choice, a child shouldn’t have the choice, they should be buckled in at all times. I hope that the drunk driver gets to spend a long time in jail to think about what he did and about the child that he killed.