Driver charged in deadly Blairs wreck

By Bernard Baker

Published: June 20, 2008

The driver of a truck that crashed late Thursday night in Blairs, killing a passenger, has been charged with driving under the influence and faces a possible manslaughter charge, according to the Virginia State Police.

Victor Samuel Jones, 48, of Blairs, was killed after being ejected from a 2005 Ford Ranger driven by Earl Ray Eanes after the truck crashed shortly after 11 p.m. on U.S. 29 a few miles north of Danville, Sgt. Robert Carpentieri, a spokesman for the Virginia State Police, said Friday.

Eanes lost control of the truck and it rolled over several times, police said. 

Jones was ejected from the truck and was declared dead at the scene, Carpentieri said. Eanes was airlifted to Lynchburg General Hospital. A spokesperson for the hospital said Friday that he had been discharged.

Trooper C.L. Brooks, who investigated the accident, said Eanes faces his second DUI charge in two weeks and it is likely that he will be charged with manslaughter.

In a separate accident, Jeffrey Peatross, 39, of Danville, was driving a Dodge Intrepid west in the eastbound lane on U.S. 58 near Axton when it struck a tractor-trailer driven by Donovan Jordan of Bassett, Trooper T.S. Bullington said Friday.

Jordan was not hurt. Peatross was airlifted to UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., where he is listed in serious condition.

Brosville Volunteer Fire & Rescue Chief Chris T. Key said the accident happened in front of 16189 Martinsville Highway about 1.5 miles from the Henry County line shortly after 1:30 a.m. The car and the tractor-trailer swerved to miss each other, but the car hit part of the tractor and trailer, he said.

“Everything caved in on the car,” Key said. “The door and dashboard were pressed in on him and his foot was wrapped around the brake pedal. It was quite extensive and quite in-depth.”

Peatross was trapped inside the car for about 50 minutes, the fire chief said.

Key said the truck driver used his extinguisher to put out a small fire in the car before units arrived.

Traffic was shut down on U.S. 58 for about two hours, he said.

Bullington said the accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed.

• News editor Darren Sweeney contributed to this report.

• Contact Bernard Baker at or (434) 791-7986.