An 18-year-old driver lost his life Thursday afternoon in a sudden two-car wreck on a busy highway in Wayne County. Family members and friends are now dealing with the loss after state troopers confirmed the young man died at the scene.
Ronald Fraley, who lived in Fort Gay, was driving south along U.S. Route 52 when the wreck happened. The late afternoon drive turned fatal in a matter of seconds, leaving local residents shaken right before the weekend.
The crash occurred around 4:37 p.m. on August 27 near the Cedar Run Road intersection in the Kenova area. Traffic was moving normally along the road when Fraley’s car suddenly drifted out of its lane.
State troopers reporting on the scene stated that Fraley was heading southbound when his vehicle crossed over the center line. The car drifted off the left side of the road and hit a steel guardrail on the east shoulder.
After hitting the guardrail, the car bounced off the metal barrier and shot back across the roadway. It crossed into the path of northbound traffic and collided head-on with another vehicle.
The impact flipped Fraley’s car onto its roof on the west side of the road. Emergency responders arrived at the scene shortly after 911 calls came in, but Fraley died from severe injuries before he could be transported.
State Police confirmed that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash. Officers have notified Fraley’s family and are still working to figure out why his car left the lane.
Leave a Reply