Breaking News for Culpeper and Warrenton Accident Victims

Two dead in Lignum car crash; tire blowout may be to blame

Posted on Oct 25, 2010

A tire blow-out may be to blame for a single-vehicle wreck that claimed the lives of two Culpeper residents near Lignum. The accident happened when the vehicle, a 1995 Ford Explorer, was headed east on Route 3.

Just before Route 750 / Ellis Road the vehicle suffered a mechanical problem. Investigators believe that a tire may have blown. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which ran off the right side of the road, rolled over several times, and collided with a tree.

The force of the crash killed the driver, Natasha Patrice Boone, 27, and right rear passenger Melvin Ernest Johnson, Jr., 35. Both victims died at the scene of the accident. Boone was wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash while Johnson was not.

Two other passengers survived the wreck, although one is in critical condition. Antwann Boone, 19, was taken to Culpeper Regional Hospital to be treated for his injuries, but was then released. He was sitting in the front seat when the accident happened.

Rear left-side passenger Leon Hunt, 35, had to be airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital due to the severity of his injuries. He is listed in serious condition, and the exact extent of his injuries is not known. Hunt was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation; Culpeper County officers and Virginia state troopers are working together on it.