4 Dead in Crash on Capital Beltway

June 15, 2007 - 3:48pm

SPRINGFIELD, Va. - A car and a tractor-trailer collided on the Capital Beltway late Thursday, killing four people -- including two teenagers who had graduated from high school hours earlier, police and school officials said.

The young women have been identified as 20-year-old Elaine Thackston; 18-year-old Lydia Petkoff; 19-year-old Sarah Renee Carter; and 18-year-old Renee Nicole Shelkin.

Another person in the car remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

Shortly before 11 p.m., the Volkswagen Cabriolet the victims were riding in changed lanes and entered the path of the oncoming tractor-trailer, and then cut through the white striped triangular-shaped safety zone where exit ramp lanes for Interstate 95 South split off the Inner Loop, Virginia State Police Sgt. F.L. Tyler said.

"It was total devastation. A horrendous tragic situation. Three young women were ejected from the vehicle. Two remained in the vehicle. One was alive and taken from the vehicle in relatively good condition considering what she went through," said Steve Titunic, Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman for the Springfield Interchange Project.

Police say alcohol was found inside the car, but don't know if it was a factor in the crash.

Two of the victims graduated Wednesday from West Potomac High School and another victim was a student at the school.

According to the West Potomac High School Web site, the school was sponsoring a "Class of 2007 All Night Graduation Celebration" at the ESPN Zone in D.C. from midnight until 4 a.m.

Buses were scheduled to leave the school, located at 6500 Quander Rd. in Alexandria, at 11 p.m. and return to the school at 5 a.m.

The crash occurred near a ramp from the inner loop of the beltway to southbound Interstate 95 in Springfield. The entrance to the ramp was closed for several hours after the crash, backing up traffic for about a mile.

The tractor-trailer driver is very distraught over what happened, Titunic said.