WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The president and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation will pay $500 for hitting a student with his car near William and Mary last fall.
Clifford Bridges Fleet III, who is also a professor at the university, was driving an Audi SUV on Richmond Road near campus around 8 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2023 when he struck Rosemary T. Raynal, the 21-year-old student, police said.
Fleet is being fined for improper driving as a result of the collision.
Williamsburg, James City County, Yorktown
Colonial Williamsburg Fdn. CEO charged in crash that hurt W&M student
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg police and the Virginia State Police Crash Team investigation concluded that the incident was not a result of impairment, phone use or distracted driving, according to a recent release.
Authorities say that the conclusion comes after investigating Fleet's vehicle, phone, nearby cameras and the man himself.
Fleet told investigators that a glare from the sun obstructed his view and he didn't see Raynal until he hit her, according to the release from law enforcement. Witnesses and officers confirmed that a sun glare around the time of the crash partially obstructed the view for drivers headed east on Richmond Road.
Fleet was driving 27 mph and the speed limit on the road was 25 mph, according to the release. While this usually does not constitute a reckless driving charge, authorities say that Fleet's speed needed to be viewed in conjunction with the sun glare and that together he should have adjusted his speed to compensate for the environmental factors.
