Area woman dies in crash

Published 8:00 am Friday, December 30, 2022

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A crash has claimed the life of a Brookneal woman.

According to Virginia State Police (VSP), The crash occurred Dec. 22, at 11:44 a.m. on Mt. Carmel Rd. at the intersection with Hunt Club Lane in Charlotte County.

A 2012 Dodge Caravan was traveling south on Mt. Carmel Rd. when it encountered a 2003 Lincoln Town Car traveling north in the southbound lane. Both vehicles swerved to the northbound lane and collided head-on.

The driver of the Dodge, Ihtishan Ashraf, 22, of Richmond, suffered minor injuries in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt. The Dodge’s passenger, Catherine V. Elam, 75, of Brookneal, died at the scene. She was wearing a seatbelt.

The driver of the Lincoln, Sarah M. Shaffer, 33, of Lynchburg, suffered minor injuries. She was wearing a seatbelt.

Charges are pending. The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash.