DMV Employee Dies of Injuries After Crash During Road Test

By Sam Thrift Saturday, July 16, 2011

Williamsburg Police said Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles employee Shirley Martin died early Friday after sustaining injuries in a single-car accident Thursday in the 200 block of Penniman Road in Williamsburg.

A DMV spokeswoman confirmed Saturday morning that Martin, a 56-year-old Newport News resident, was working in her official capacity at the time of the crash, conducting a road skills exam for the driver who was applying for a license.

"The DMV family is in mourning over the sudden tragic loss of one of our own," said DMV spokeswoman Melanie Stokes in a telephone interview. "Our hearts are with our coworker's loved ones. We await details of the incident being investigated by law enforcement. Meantime, for the safety of all, we urge everyone to take extra care every time they get behind the wheel."

According to Major Greg Riley of the Williamsburg Police Department, the accident happened shortly before noon Thursday. The driver of the 1998 Honda four door was going south on Parkway Drive when the car crossed over Penniman Road and left the roadway. The car overturned after it struck a tree in a field near the intersection.

Martin was airlifted from the scene and transported to MCV in Richmond. Martin died at the hospital around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The car’s driver, a 36-year-old woman police have not identified, was also injured in the crash. Local medics transported her to Williamsburg Sentara Hospital. Her condition has not been released.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, Riley said.