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MOTHER charged in fatal crash DANGEROUS INTERSECTION
The mother of girl killed in a traffic accident last week has been charged with reckless driving
BY JIM HALL
Date published: 7/4/2008
BY JIM HALL
A Sandston woman who lost her daughter in a fatal traffic accident last week now faces charges as one of the drivers.
Lindsey Fillner, 28, has been charged with reckless driving and driving on a suspended license, said Sgt. F.L. Tyler, spokesman for the state police.
Fillner's 5-year-old daughter Ainsley Fillner was killed in the Saturday night wreck in Spotsylvania County.
The accident happened at 8:50 p.m., June 28, when Fillner turned from the southbound side of U.S. 1 into the path of a northbound tow truck. She was trying to get to the southbound Interstate 95 entrance ramp.
Fillner and three children in her 2006 Pontiac were injured in the wreck. Two people in the tow truck also were injured.
All of the injured have been released from the hospital.
Leslee Lambert, the mother of two of the injured children, said yesterday in a phone interview that she has received conflicting reports about the accident. She said she has pieced together this account of what happened:
Lambert's children had joined the Fillners for a day at the National Zoo. On the way home, the group stopped for dinner at Golden Corral in Fredericksburg. They were headed back to the interstate and to their homes in the Richmond area.
Lambert said her 11-year-old daughter, Ashlee, was in the front passenger seat. Her 6-year-old son, Adam, was seated behind Fillner, the driver.
Ainsley Fillner was on the right side of the back seat. Her twin sister, Hailey, was also in the back seat, between Adam and Ainsley.
"Everybody was in a car seat and properly restrained," Lambert said.
The tow truck struck the passenger side of the Pontiac, closest to where Ainsley and Ashlee were seated.
Ainsley was killed. Ashlee was taken by helicopter to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she was treated for a broken leg and injuries to her liver and lung. Lindsey and Hailey Fillner also were taken to Inova Fairfax.
Adam Lambert went to Mary Washington Hospital, where he was treated for a black eye.
"Mr. Superman, he got lucky," his mother said.
Lambert said that when she heard about the accident Saturday night, she drove from her home in Mechanicsville to Mary Washington Hospital. Her son was released several hours after he arrived. Lambert also drove to Inova Fairfax to see her daughter.
| The intersection of U.S. 1 and the southbound Interstate 95 ramps have been the scene of 68 crashes from February 2005 to February 2008, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Thirty-nine of the crashes, or 57 percent, were rear-end collisions.
Sixteen of the crashes, or 24 percent, involved drivers who failed to yield to oncoming traffic while turning left.
Thirteen crashes involved other movements.
Drivers turning left onto I-95 south from U.S. 1 have a green turn arrow for 5 to 30 seconds, depending on the time of day, said VDOT's Tina Bundy.
The green arrow allows traffic to turn freely since oncoming traffic is stopped.
The arrow gives way to a solid green light, which means vehicles may turn left from the turn lane but must yield to oncoming traffic.
--Kelly Hannon
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Date published: 7/4/2008
Most recent reader comments:
Maybe not a felon
(posted by
krasnyibog
, July 15, 2008 12:19 pm)
I can visualize one or two scenarios where turning left from the right lane might be unavoidable, such as a broken down vehicle blocking all, or part of, the left lane. However, I don't think that those apply here. A felony charge is justifiable, but disenfranchising her forever for a tragic act of carelessness might be overly harsh. That being said, her license should be permanently revoked and she should never drive in the Commonwealth again.
what sort of reason for suspension "could happen to anyone"
(posted by
Ron_C
, July 14, 2008 2:58 pm)
They don't just suspend licenses on a whim. Basically traffic offenses, failure to pay fines for traffic offenses, failing to pay child support, there are others that can result in suspension most of the possibles don't make he a horrible person. Consider this though, by driving under a suspended license she gave the insurance company a perfect legal out. They can deny all claims resulting from her illegally operating that car. It's not about why she was suspended but that she chose to ignore the suspension
Be careful when you judge....
(posted by
, July 13, 2008 6:53 pm)
Unfortunately, the articles you are reading don't give the full story. While you may assume she lost her license for a horrible reason, keep in mind that it may have been something that could happen to anyone. I can't go into details, but coming from someone who knows, be careful what you wish on someone when you don't know the full story. Please keep this family in your prayers.
She should be charged, but should also be pitied
(posted by
dicerotops
, July 4, 2008 8:16 pm)
I feel so terrible for this woman. She made a stupid mistake and lost her child for it. If she wasn't driving on a suspended, I'd say don't even charge her. However, she was driving when she shouldn't have been. She completely disregarded a court order, and an innocent child died for it. She'll live with that forever. Therefore, I hope that her jail sentence is all suspended.
Charges?
(posted by
peachesmom
, July 4, 2008 7:08 pm)
Although this woman lost one of her children she should be charged not only with reckless driving but involuntary manslaughter. I know it was her child but she was driving on a suspended (she shouldn't of been on the road driving) and she pulled out in front of a tow truck to boot. It dosn't matter whos child it was that childs life was still cut short. The only problem I have with this whole thing is the light. 5 to 30 seconds left turns have a green arrow? which is it 5,30? not much time for a left turn.
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