Woman dies in I-95 crash near site of earlier wreck

A Waverly woman died in a collision that occurred in the aftermath of a fatal crash in Prince George County on Monday.

State police said Cora E. Fowler, 82, died at VCU Medical Center from injuries in a crash that occurred as she attempted to cross from the right southbound lane of Interstate 95, which was backed up with traffic from an earlier wreck that closed one southbound lane and all northbound lanes for hours.

Fowler appeared to be turning her car toward a crossover lane for emergency and police vehicles when she was hit broadside by another car, state police said. The collision occurred at 9:47 a.m. about a half-mile north of Exit 41 for state Route 35 in Prince George. State police noted that it is illegal for unauthorized vehicles to use emergency crossovers on interstates in Virginia.

The driver of the second car, Robert E. Braggs, 31, of Garysburg, N.C., and his male passenger, James J. Adkins, 36, also were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Both men were wearing seat belts. No information was available on their injuries. The crash remains under investigation.

A 12-year-old Maryland girl died in the earlier crash, which occurred about 4:39 a.m. near Exit 45, where U.S. 301 intersects with the interstate. Shiane Dixon of Boyds, Md., died after she was thrown from the sport utility vehicle that was being driven by her mother, Diane P. Dixon. The mother remained in critical condition Tuesday in a Richmond hospital, according to state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

The mother's 16-year-old son, Hassan, was treated and released Monday at VCU Medical Center. Two other passengers were treated and released at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg.

Geller said charges are pending in the girl's death, which occurred after the SUV ran off the right side of the southbound lane of I-95, veered and hit a guardrail on the left side. The 12-year-old girl, who police said was the only occupant of the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, was thrown into the northbound lane of the interstate and hit by a tractor-trailer. The truck driver was not injured.

A total of 352 people have died on Virginia roads so far this year, compared with 413 at the same time last year.

Contact Michael Martz at (804) 649-6964 or .