SUV swept away crossing swollen river, leaving 3 dead and 2 missing, Virginia cops say
A “strong current” pulled an SUV down a swollen river, leaving three dead and two missing in Virginia, officials said.
The SUV was at a low water crossing when it was swept away in Nelson County, roughly 30 miles southwest of Charlottesville, according to preliminary information from Virginia State Police.
Two boys — ages 11 and 17 — were later found dead along the bank of the Rockfish River. The body of a third person — a 30-year-old man — was discovered inside the submerged SUV, police wrote Dec. 28 in a Facebook post.
The day before, state officials said they were notified about an SUV that ended up under water.
Now, crews are searching for two other people who they believe were in the SUV. None of the people who had been in the vehicle were related to one another, according to officials.
“State police is still working to determine the exact date the vehicle was washed off the road,” police wrote. “At this point in the investigation, it appears that a 1997 Toyota 4Runner tried to cross the flooded Rockfish River at a low river crossing on Bridgeport Lane and was swept away by the strong current.”
Officials continue to investigate the incident, which was reported on private property near Bridgeport Lane and Johnson Hollow roads.
“The three that have been recovered have been transported to the medical examiner’s office in Richmond for autopsy, examination and positive identification,” police wrote.
Virginia State Police didn’t share additional information with McClatchy News on Dec. 29.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 7:38 AM with the headline "SUV swept away crossing swollen river, leaving 3 dead and 2 missing, Virginia cops say."
