A Manassas woman died Friday morning when a tractor-trailer collided with an SUV, in which she was a passenger, at the intersection of Sudley Road and Coverstone Drive in Manassas.
The deceased woman has been identified as Fresia Danny Melo, 33, of Manassas.
According to Prince William Police, the driver of the tractor-trailer appears to be at fault in the accident.
Investigators from the Crash Investigation Unit responded to the area of Coverstone Drive in Manassas, Prince William County, Aug. 5 at 6:30 a.m., to investigate a two-vehicle crash.
The investigation revealed that the driver of a 2012 Toyota RAV4 was attempting to make a right turn onto southbound Sudley Road from Coverstone Drive.
At the same time, the driver of a 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer was traveling southbound on Sudley Road, approaching the same intersection.
“The tractor-trailer driver disregarded a red traffic signal at the intersection and collided with the RAV4,” said police spokesperson, Sgt. Jonathan Perok.
Melo, who was seated in the rear middle seat of the RAV4 was ejected from the vehicle upon impact.
She was transported to an area hospital where she died as a result of her injuries from the crash.
There were four other occupants in the RAV4 at the time of the collision, including two small children. The children were properly secured and uninjured.
A passenger in the front seat sustained minor injuries and was flown to an area hospital. The driver of the RAV4 sustained minor injuries as well and was treated at the scene.
The other occupants of the Toyota RAV4 were identified as a 43-year-old man, a 41-year-old woman, a 3-year-old-boy, and a 2-year-old boy, all of Manassas
The driver of the 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer was identified as a 53-year-old man of Mt. Airy, Maryland
The driver of the tractor-trailer was uninjured.
“At this time, speed and substance use do not appear to be factors in this investigation,” Perok said.
The deceased passenger in the RAV4 was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
Charges are pending. The investigation continues.
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