Woman, 19, Fatally Crushed Against Tree By Car: Police

A woman in West Virginia has been fatally crushed against a tree by a runaway car, according to police.

Police with the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) said they were alerted to an incident involving a pedestrian and vehicle at a home in the Lakeview Drive area of Nitro, near Charleston, on Sunday.

When officers arrived, they found an overturned Hyundai Elantra in a yard as well as the body of the teenager.

Officers later identified the victim as Elizabeth A. O'Leary, 19, of Nitro, and determined she had been partially inside the car when it started to roll down the steep driveway.

A KCSO statement shared on April 17 said: "The female appeared to be holding the steering wheel which may have aided in the vehicle turning and continuing off the driveway towards the hillside.

"The vehicle struck a tree, pinning the victim, and causing fatal trauma to the victim. The car continued over the hillside and overturned a short distance away."

"Investigators determined the initial cause of the vehicle starting its descent down the driveway was due to the vehicle transmission being left in 'drive,' with no parking brake set," the statement continued.

Kanawha County police said no other people were involved or injured in connection with the fatal crash.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were 267 fatalities in West Virginia linked to vehicle crashes in 2020.

The State Highway Safety Report was organized to cut the five-year average number of fatalities in half by the year 2030, using 2005-2009 as a baseline.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 7,425 people aged between 15 and 24 were killed in incidents involving motor vehicles in 2021. It represented 15 percent of total motor vehicle deaths that year.

The majority of deaths in 2021 fell in the 25 to 44 age bracket where 16,040 people died, which in turn represented 34.1 percent of the total deaths.

"Over the last 10 years the only age group experiencing a decrease in death rates per 100,000 population are children younger than 5 (-6 percent)," the NSC added.

The NSC continued: "Death rates among all other age groups have increased ranging from a 2 percent increase among individuals 75 years or older to a 37 percent increase among individuals aged 25 to 44."

Anyone with any information about the crash has been asked to contact Deputy J.W. Cochran at KCSO on 304-357-0169 or submit a tip at www.kanawhasheriff.us under the 'Tips' tab.

Newsweek has contacted the KCSO for comment via email.