RICHMOND, VA—Virginia emergency officials are blaming the traffic-related death of two men in downtown Richmond on superstorm Sandy.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management said Tuesday that the medical examiner's office had confirmed that two traffic fatalities were caused by the storm.
The single vehicle accident happened just after 1:23 a.m. Tuesday in downtown Richmond.
Michael T. Overton, 51, and Keith D. Fordham, 52, both of Richmond were killed in the wreck.
Police said Fordham was driving the vehicle and Overton was a passenger.
Fordham was attempting to turn left off of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge onto Mosby Street when the vehicle struck a light pole at the corner of Mosby and O Streets, police said.
The light pole fell, and the vehicle struck a tree before continuing down O Street where it came to a stop against another tree, police said.
Both Fordham and Overton were ejected from the vehicle, police said.
Overton died at the scene; Fordham was taken to VCU Medical Center where he later died, police said.
All roads closed for the crash investigation reopened by 5 a.m.
Copyright 2012 by Young Broadcasting of Richmond
