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VDOT Pretreats Shenandoah Valley Roadways In Anticipation Of Winter Weather

Yvette Stafford
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VDOT Pretreats Shenandoah Valley Roadways In Anticipation Of Winter Weather

Staunton
Augusta County, VA

Snow is forecasted for much of Virginia late Tuesday into Wednesday. On Monday, January 15, the Virginia Department of Transportation Staunton District began pretreating interstate roads and some primary roads in the Shenandoah Valley in preparation for this winter weather event. Motorists are reminded that these are slow moving vehicles and drivers should give plenty of room to the brine trucks.

Travelers are asked to monitor local weather forecasts and to avoid driving if possible during the snow storm. VDOT crews will be out to plow and treat roads as the winter weather begins.

Road conditions and traffic cameras can be found on the VDOT 511 website at http://www.511Virginia.org, Roads with snow conditions will be marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

Road condition definitions:
Closed – Road is closed to all traffic.
Severe – drifting or partially blocked road.
Moderate – snow or ice on major portions of the roadway.
Minor – bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush. Driving with caution is recommended.

For a text listing of winter weather road conditions go to http://www.511Virginia.org, look at the orange bar on the top of the page and click on “Text Views” and then click on “Road Condition Table”. Look at the pull down box that lists all jurisdictions. In this box individual counties can be chosen to view.

On the go? Then visit VDOT’s Free Virginia 511 Tools to get your 511 app for android or iOS. Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are on site 24/7 every day of the year to assist the public. People can also call the VDOT Customer Service Center at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623).

The Staunton District Snow Page is on the VDOT website under Travel Center Snow Emergency Pages. The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton.

VDOT statewide Twitter messages can be found at @VaDOT. The nine districts can be found at:Hampton Roads @VaDOTHR; Richmond @VaDOTRVA; Northern Virginia @VaDOTNOVA; Fredericksburg @VaDOTFred; Culpeper @VaDOTCulp; Lynchburg @VaDOTLynchburg; Bristol @VaDOTBristol; Salem @VaDOTSalem; Staunton @VaDOTStaunton.

VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

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Road condition definitions:
Severe – drifting or partially blocked road.
Moderate – snow or ice on major portions of the roadway.
Minor – bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush. Driving with caution is recommended.

Nelson : Solar Project Installation Underway at RVCC

Yvette Stafford
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Nelson : Solar Project Installation Underway at RVCC
Photo courtesy of RVCC : New solar panels are going up at RVCC as part of their project installation.

Greenfield / Afton
Nelson County, Virginia

Rockfish Valley Community Center’s “Rock & Sol” solar energy pilot project, for which fundraising began over a year ago, became very real on Monday, January 8 with the beginning of the solar panel array installation on the East roof of the Center in Afton.

The project, which was initially designed by project collaborator SunTribe Solar, LLC as a 24-panel array of photovoltaic cells, was the brainchild of a then-15 year-old NCHS rising sophomore named Arlo Bloom, who dreamed of making a positive impact on his community through a project that would reduce its carbon footprint and promote alternative energy generation.

Teaming up with the Center’s Building & Grounds Committee, Arlo helped persuade the facility’s Board of Directors that a solar energy project would be a productive, cost-effective and well-received follow-up effort to the Center’s “Green Initiative” project, which restored or replaced all of the windows in RVCC’s main building, rehabilitated its geothermal heating and cooling system and completed the re-insulation of all of the steam pipes beneath the Center’s floors.

Throughout the fall of 2016 and the spring of 2017, Arlo worked closely with Center staff in the development of the fundraising and marketing campaign for Rock & Sol, developing a Power Point presentation for potential donors and traveling as far as the Canaan Valley in West Virginia to promote the project to prospective foundations. He also took an active role in direct fundraising appeals for project donations locally.

The project’s initial fundraising goal of $18,144, including $3,000 to be raised from local donations, was exceeded by early April of last year, with a $20,000 gift from an anonymous foundation. Additional grants from the Schaeneman Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge and the Bama Works Fund of the Dave Matthews Band, plus an outpouring of over $5,000 in support from the local community, swelled total project receipts to more than double the fundraising goal.

The success of the fundraising effort has enabled project engineers to greatly expand the planned array to 44 panels, with the potential of generating over 17,000 kWh – equating to over 11% – of the Center’s growing annual electrical needs. Once inspected and approved, the project is expected to be fully operational in mid-February.

In the middle of his sophomore year, and in the midst of the Rock & Sol fundraising effort, Arlo’s commitment to environmental sustainability led him to apply for admission to the United World College – a consortium of 17 schools and colleges on four continents – to continue his high school studies. He was awarded a full scholarship and enrolled at the UWC campus in Duino, Italy in August 2017, becoming one of 9,500 such students worldwide. His first return trip to the US was for the semester break over the holidays, and by a stroke of good fortune, SunTribe scheduled the solar array installation to begin on the day before he returned to Italy for his second semester, allowing Arlo to see his dream begin taking shape.

“It seems like it’s been forever that we’ve waited to move up the list on SunTribe’s busy installation schedule,” said RVCC’s Stu Mills “but we’re very excited to see the project underway, at last. And I couldn’t have been happier that Arlo got to see the project getting started before he had to return to school. He was clearly the heart and soul of ‘Rock & Sol’ and it was great to see his pride as we watched the installers start hauling the solar equipment up onto the roof on Monday.”

Throughout the planning and fundraising effort, the RVCC Building and Grounds Committee relied on the expertise of local solar expert Kelly Faust, who joined the SunTribe Solar team as VP of Field Operations in 2016. Sharing RVCC’s enthusiasm, Faust added, “This has been long awaited and I’m so excited as a Nelson County resident and solar advocate. This is only the beginning for solar at RVCC and the community as a whole. Many thanks need to go to all involved in the efforts and donations to make this dream come true.”

Augusta : Virginia State Police Seek Public’s Help With Fire Investigation

Yvette Stafford
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Augusta : Virginia State Police Seek Public’s Help With Fire Investigation
Photo Via VSP : What’s left from the fire that was first reported at 10:12 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 6, 2018) at a construction site for an assisted senior living facility on Pinnacle Drive in Fishersville.

Fishersville
Augusta County, Virginia

The Virginia State Police is seeking the public’s assistance with an ongoing investigation into a fire that destroyed a building still under construction in Augusta County. The fire was first reported at 10:12 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 6, 2018) at a construction site for an assisted senior living facility on Pinnacle Drive in Fishersville. Fire crews responded and extinguished the fire, only to have a second one start a short time later. Fire crews responded again to the scene and successfully put that fire out – despite the challenges they faced in the dangerously cold temperatures overnight.

The investigation, being conducted by a fire investigator with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office, remains ongoing at this time into the cause and origin of the blazes. State police are asking anyone in the area of Pinnacle Drive Saturday night who might have seen any individuals and/or vehicles on the property prior to fire to please call the Appomattox Division at 434-352-7128 or contact us by email: questions@vsp.virginia.gov

Lisa Comes Full Circle – Former Ambrosia Founder Returns to Nelson – Opening New Shop

Tommy
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Lisa Comes Full Circle – Former Ambrosia Founder Returns to Nelson – Opening New Shop
Copyright 2005-2018 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Photos By Tommy Stafford : Lisa Swinson the former founder and owner of Ambosia that opened back in 2005 stands behind the counter under construction in her new soon to open bakery in Nellysford called Sweet Bliss Bakery.


Nellysford
Nelson County, Virginia
By Tommy Stafford

Back in 2004 Lisa Swinson opened her Ambrosia Bakery & Deli in Nellysford. After she sold it in 2007 she never thought one day she’d back in Nellysford just down the street opening another bakery.

“No, no I did not. I sort of surprised myself, but very excited. I’ve been thinking ever since I’ve had this second home bakery in Crozet, it’s always been in the back of my mind to open a retail bakery again,” Lisa told us from what will be her new home for Sweet Bliss Bakery in the old locaiton of Rockfish Baking Company in Nellysford’s IGA / Valley Green Center. RBC closed a few weeks ago.

Lisa behind the counter of her original Nellysford bakery, Ambrosia, in a 2005 story we did about her opening just a few months earlier in October 2004. She eventually sold the business in 2007. A few years later it closed for good.
The exterior of Lisa’s original bakery back in 2007. It was right next door to Valleymont Grocery which has since closed as well.

Lisa says she looked all around the once she started thinking about opening up a new bakery again, but she didn’t want to compete with Rockfish Baking Company in Nellysford. That took her to Staunton to look around.

“I found a couple of spots in Staunton. I almost committed. I even told the landlord I was going to do it then I backed out. It just didn’t feel right. But as soon as I heard about this spot opening, it felt right Tommy. It just felt right. It feels like coming back home.”

And back home she’ll be! Lisa was a big hit during her first round here, and many of the deserts in area restuarants today are hers. She’s been selling wholesale to places like Basic Necessities for a long time.

Lisa preparing some Valentine’s Day treats in February 2007 at her original Ambrosia Bakery in Nellysford.

Lisa says there will be some old favorites from her Ambrosia days, but not everything.

“It’s going to be different from Ambrosia. We are going to have a full line bakery like we did with Ambrosia, cakes, cheesecakes. I’ve got some new items, key lime pie that I’m making for my restaurants now. And different kinds of pies. Banana cream pie. Coconut cream pie. Chocolate peanut butter. Scones, we’ll have the scones, the muffins, the cookies, cream puffs, eclairs, also quiche. Which we did have at Ambrosia. And also homemade soup. I want to try to have some lunch items, but no sandwiches or salads.”

Lisa Swinson changes out a light bulb in her Sweet Bliss Bakery in Nellysford that will be opening in mid to late January 2018.

Welcome back Lisa! Can’t wait to drop in once you’re open!

To learn more about what Lisa will be offering at Sweet Bliss, head on over to her website by clicking here.

Winter Weather Advisories Continue Into Monday Evening For Some Of Blue Ridge (EXPIRED)

Tommy
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Winter Weather Advisories Continue Into Monday Evening For Some Of Blue Ridge (EXPIRED)
Click on map above for the absolute latest updates from NWS.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY – START / END TIMES VARY CHECK YOUR SPECIFIC LOCATION
Complete list of active statewide advisories here.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
621 PM EST Mon Jan 8 2018

Frederick MD-Carroll-Northwest Montgomery-Northwest Howard-
Rappahannock-Northern Fauquier-Western Loudoun-Eastern Loudoun-
Northern Virginia Blue Ridge-Central Virginia Blue Ridge-
621 PM EST Mon Jan 8 2018

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS
EVENING…

* WHAT…Freezing rain. The ice will result in very slippery
conditions on sidewalks, roads and bridges. A light glaze of
ice is expected.

* WHERE…Portions of northern Virginia along and near the Blue
Ridge and north-central Maryland.

* WHEN…Until 9 PM EST this evening.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of freezing rain
will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads.
Slow down and use caution while driving. The latest road
conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by
calling 5 1 1.

$$
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
621 PM EST Mon Jan 8 2018

MDZ003-VAZ025-028-030-031-504-WVZ051>053-090030-
/O.CON.KLWX.WW.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-180109T0000Z/
Washington-Augusta-Frederick VA-Warren-Clarke-Eastern Highland-
Morgan-Berkeley-Jefferson-
621 PM EST Mon Jan 8 2018

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING…

* WHAT…Freezing rain. The ice will result in very slippery
conditions on sidewalks, roads and bridges. A light glaze of ice
is expected.

* WHERE…Portions of north-central Maryland, northwest and
western Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

* WHEN…Until 7 PM EST this evening.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of freezing rain
will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads.
Slow down and use caution while driving. The latest road
conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by
calling 5 1 1.

$$
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
621 PM EST Mon Jan 8 2018

DCZ001-MDZ013-014-504-506-VAZ036>039-050>054-502-090200-
/O.CON.KLWX.WW.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-180109T0200Z/
District of Columbia-Prince Georges-Anne Arundel-
Central and Southeast Montgomery-Central and Southeast Howard-
Nelson-Albemarle-Greene-Madison-Orange-Culpeper-
Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park-Fairfax-
Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria-Southern Fauquier-
621 PM EST Mon Jan 8 2018

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS
EVENING…

* WHAT…Freezing rain. The ice will result in very slippery
conditions on sidewalks, roads and bridges. A light glaze of ice
is expected.

* WHERE…The District of Columbia, portions of central Maryland
and central and northern Virginia.

* WHEN…Until 9 PM EST this evening.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of freezing rain
will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads.
Slow down and use caution while driving. The latest road
conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by
calling 5 1 1.

Nelson : VSP Releases Name In Fatal Auto Accident On US 29 North of Lovingston : Update 1.7.18 – 8:50 PM

Yvette Stafford
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Nelson : VSP Releases Name In Fatal Auto Accident On US 29 North of Lovingston : Update 1.7.18 – 8:50 PM

US 29 North Of Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia

Updated 1.7.18 – 8:50 PM

“Virginia State Police Trooper B.W. Stanley is investigating a fatal, single-vehicle crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred at 1 p.m., Jan. 6, 2018, on Route 29 just north of Davis Creek Lane.

A 2004 Honda Accord traveling south on Route 29 ran off the highway into the median. There it struck an embankment and overturned several times before coming to rest in the median.

The driver, Cyril B. Jenkins III, 19, of Baltimore, Md., died at the scene. He was wearing a seatbelt.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation at this time.

Corinne N. Geller

Public Relations Director

Virginia State Police”

Updated 3:42 PM

“Virginia State Police Trooper B.W. Stanley is investigating a fatal, single-vehicle crash in Nelson County. A vehicle traveling south on Route 29 ran off the highway into the median. There it struck an embankment and overturned several times before coming to rest in the median. The driver, an adult male, died at the scene. State police are still in the process of notifying his next of kin. The cause of the crash remains under investigation at this time.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police”

Original story at 3:09 PM EST
Officers with the Virginia State Police are working a fatal accident on US 29 North of Lovingston Saturday afternoon. Witnesses says the accident occurred near Ridgecrest Church.

“At 1:08 p.m., Virginia State Police are investigating a single-vehicle fatal crash in Nelson County. The crash occurred in the 14,000 block of Route 29. A vehicle ran off Route 29 and into the median. There is one confirmed fatality. The crash remains under investigation.” Corinne Geller – Public Relations Director with the Virginia State Police told us around 3PM Saturday.

We will update this story as we have additional information.

Sub Freezing Temps Cause Creeks and Streams To Ice Over

Yvette Stafford
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Sub Freezing Temps Cause Creeks and Streams To Ice Over
Thanks to Courtney Thompson for this photo : Ice covers the creek as seen from the Moses Hughes Lane bridge in Beech Groove of Nelson County on Friday – January 5, 2018.

Nelson County, Virginia

We’ve essentially been near or below freezing for the past week. May of those temps have been in the single digits and near 0° at times even in the lowlands.

That’s caused lots of creeks, streams and rivers to freeze over.

Courtney Thompson of Beech Grove shared some of her pics with us.


Above, more photos Courtney shared of Sliding Rock just before the Wintergreen entrance.

Looks mighty cold!

Tommy says things will be warming up on Monday and beyond, but not before the chance for some freezing rain Monday morning.

His forecast down below.

Snow In Savannah, Georgia

Yvette Stafford
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Snow In Savannah, Georgia
Photo courtesy of Lydia Holman : Lydia Holman (left) of Nelson County, VA with her beau and snow pup got a rare treat of a 2 inches snow on Wednesday – January 3, 2018 in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah, Georgia

We didn’t see anything here in Nelson and the surrounding Central Virginia Blue Ridge, but that wasn’t the case just off to the east in places like Buckingham County where schools closed Thursday. But you go way south and east and there was plenty of snow.

Lydia Holman of Nelson County, who is in school in Savannah, GA shared the photo above with us on Wednesday. She tells us they got about 2 inches of snow there.

You may remember Lydia from this story we did on her three years ago in our January 2018 issue.

We’re told the last time any appreciable snow fell in Savannah was the late 1980’s!

A rare treat indeed!

Wind Chill Advisory / Warning In Effect Until Noon Saturday

Tommy
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Wind Chill Advisory / Warning In Effect Until Noon Saturday
Click on the image above to get the latest updates from NWS.

Click here to see all other watches, advisories and warnings in Virginia.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY / WARNING
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
220 PM EST Fri Jan 5 2018

District of Columbia-Southern Baltimore-Prince Georges-
Anne Arundel-Charles-St. Marys-Calvert-
Central and Southeast Montgomery-Central and Southeast Howard-
Southeast Harford-Nelson-Albemarle-Greene-Madison-Rappahannock-
Orange-Culpeper-Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park-Fairfax-
Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria-Stafford-Spotsylvania-
King George-Southern Fauquier-Eastern Loudoun-
220 PM EST Fri Jan 5 2018

…WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING
TO NOON EST SATURDAY…

* WHAT…Very cold wind chills expected. Expect wind chills to
range from 5 above zero to 10 below zero.

* WHERE…The District of Columbia, portions of central, northern
and southern Maryland and central, northern and northwest
Virginia.

* WHEN…From 6 PM this evening to noon EST Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The cold wind chills will cause frostbite
in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and the wind will
combine to create low wind chills. Frost bite and hypothermia can
occur if precautions are not taken. Make sure you wear a hat and
gloves.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
220 PM EST Fri Jan 5 2018

MDZ003>006-502-503-505-507-VAZ025>031-501-505-WVZ050>053-055-502-
504-060330-
/O.CON.KLWX.WC.Y.0003.180105T2300Z-180106T1700Z/
Washington-Frederick MD-Carroll-Northern Baltimore-
Central and Eastern Allegany-Northwest Montgomery-
Northwest Howard-Northwest Harford-Augusta-Rockingham-Shenandoah-
Frederick VA-Page-Warren-Clarke-Northern Fauquier-Western Loudoun-
Hampshire-Morgan-Berkeley-Jefferson-Hardy-Eastern Grant-
Eastern Mineral-
220 PM EST Fri Jan 5 2018

…WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING
TO NOON EST SATURDAY…

* WHAT…Very cold wind chills expected. Expect wind chills to
range from 0 to 15 below zero.

* WHERE…Portions of central, north central, northern and
western Maryland, northern, northwest and western Virginia and
eastern and panhandle West Virginia.

* WHEN…From 6 PM this evening to noon EST Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The cold wind chills will cause frostbite
in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and the wind will
combine to create low wind chills. Frost bite and hypothermia can
occur if precautions are not taken. Make sure you wear a hat and
gloves.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
220 PM EST Fri Jan 5 2018

Extreme Western Allegany-Western Highland-Eastern Highland-
Northern Virginia Blue Ridge-Central Virginia Blue Ridge-
Western Grant-Western Mineral-Western Pendleton-Eastern Pendleton-
220 PM EST Fri Jan 5 2018

…WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SATURDAY…
…WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 10 AM EST
SUNDAY…

* WHAT…Dangerously cold wind chills expected tonight. Very cold
wind chills expected Saturday night. Expect wind chills to range
from 5 below zero to 25 below zero tonight. Expect wind chills
to range from 0 to 20 below zero Saturday night.

* WHERE…Portions of western Maryland, central, northwest and
western Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

* WHEN…For the Wind Chill Warning, until noon EST Saturday.
For the Wind Chill Advisory, from noon Saturday to 10 AM EST
Sunday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS….The dangerously cold wind chills tonight
will cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to exposed skin.
The cold wind chills Saturday night will cause frostbite in as
little as 30 minutes to exposed skin.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Chill Warning means the combination of very cold air and
the wind will create dangerously low wind chill values. Frost
bite can occur quickly and even hypothermia or death if
precautions are not taken.

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and the wind will
combine to create low wind chills. Frost bite and hypothermia can
occur if precautions are not taken. Make sure you wear a hat and
gloves.

Route 151 Near Brent’s Gap Closed Due To Multiple Accident Injury : Update – Roadway Cleared & Open 1:40 PM

Yvette Stafford
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Route 151 Near Brent’s Gap Closed Due To Multiple Accident Injury : Update – Roadway Cleared & Open 1:40 PM
©2018 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Photos & Video By Tommy Stafford : An engine from Wintergreen Fire & Rescue travels south on Route 151 heading toward Brent’s Gap where a head on collision happened early Tuesday afternoon – January 2, 2018.

Near Brents Gap
Route 151
Nelson County, Virginia

Around 12:30 Tuesday afternoon emergency crews responded to another auto accident on Route 151 in Nelson County just below Brents Gap. According to motorists that drove by the accident scene it appeared one car crossed over the centerline in a curve and hit another vehicle head on.


Above an engine from Rockfish Valley Fire & Rescue heads for the scene on near Brent’s Gap – Tuesday afternoon January 2, 2018.

The accident scene was cleared and the road opened later in the afternoon.

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