A Raphine man was killed and another person was injured in a two-vehicle car accident in Augusta County Sunday morning, Oct. 11, during heavy rain, according to Virginia State Police. The remnants of Hurricane Isaias were moving through the area at the time.
The crash happened on Stuarts Draft Highway (Va. 340), a mile and a half from Lee Jackson Highway around 8 a.m Police said a 2011 BMW sedan was driving north and hydroplaned, crossing the center line. The car was t-boned by a Toyota truck.
The BMW’s driver, 24-year-old Trajon Macai-Jaheim Richards, died at the scene. The Toyota driver, who hasn’t been identified, sustained minor injuries. Police said Richards was wearing a seatbelt when the crash happened.
The Richards family lived near Walker Midway Auto Parts at the intersection of U.S. 11 and Va. 851 and were relatively new to the area, according to workers at the auto shop.
Richards was a varsity football player at Battlefield High School in Haymarket and graduated in 2020, according to a Hudl profile.
Richards’ brother, Thomas, has set up a Go-FundMe to help the family with funeral expenses.
Richards worked as a manager in the hardware and tools department at the Lowe’s in Waynesboro, an official confirmed to The News-Gazette.
Steeles Tavern reported nearly 5 inches of rain in a 24-hour period as Isaias moved up the East Coast that weekend.
The crash remains under investigation.
