Van transporting inmates to court runs off road in Suffolk

The van was carrying 12 inmates in addition to the driver and a guard

Suffolk, Va. – A Western Tidewater Regional Jail van transporting inmates to the Mills E. Godwin, Jr. Courts Building was involved in a minor single vehicle accident this morning. 

The van, which was carrying 12 inmates in addition to the driver and a guard, ran over a curb and struck a crepe myrtle tree in the 400 block of N. Main Street.

No injuries were initially reported, however, all inmates later reported minor back, neck and shoulder pain and were transported to Sentara Obici Hospital by Suffolk Fire & Rescue. 

Ten inmates have been returned to the jail after being cleared at the hospital, and two more are still being examined.

Family members requesting information about the status of inmates should contact Lt. Tanya Scott at Western Tidewater Regional Jail, 514-3119, extension 280.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.