On April 4, 2024, Virginia State Police responded to 617 Temple Avenue in Emporia after a single-vehicle fatality occurred around 4:05 a.m. According to a media release from VSP, preliminary investigations revealed that the driver of a 2007 Honda Civic, 17-year-old Aaliyah Nevaeh Thomas, was traveling north on Temple Avenue when they lost control of the vehicle, ran off the roadway, and struck a tree, resulting in the vehicle overturning and splitting in half.

Marvin M. Williams, Jr., aged 18, died upon impact. Two other teenagers, a 15-year-old male and a 16-year-old female, both passengers in the vehicle, sustained serious life-threatening injuries and were flown to Richmond.

All occupants were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, and speed was a contributing factor. It’s currently unclear if alcohol played a role. The crash remains under investigation. Next of kin for the deceased have been notified for Thomas and Williams, Jr., both residents of Emporia, Virginia.