Nine people, including four children, were rushed to the hospital early Wednesday morning after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Mercury Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue in Newport News. Officials said all of the injuries were believed to be non-life-threatening, and police were still investigating what caused the collision.
The crash forced a temporary shutdown of several major travel lanes in the area, according to WAVY.com. As reported by WVEC, Newport News police closed northbound Jefferson Avenue at Mercury Boulevard along with both eastbound and westbound lanes of Mercury Boulevard while crews worked the scene. All lanes have since reopened, and officials said the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
A History of Severe Wrecks at This Exact Corner
This is not the first time this intersection has produced a serious crash. A driver who ran a red light at the same intersection in November 2024 caused a multi-vehicle collision that killed a 41-year-old man, according to a summary of police records from Breit Law. That earlier case led to the arrest of a 21-year-old driver and an involuntary manslaughter charge.
The intersection has also seen other emergency responses in recent months. Dispatch logs reviewed by CrimeRadar recorded a single-motorcycle crash at Jefferson Avenue and Mercury Boulevard in June, with the motorcyclist surviving non-fatal injuries. Regional planning documents from the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization describe both roadways as heavily traveled commercial arterials marked by frequent turning traffic and numerous commercial driveway access points, a design that contributes to crash frequency at major intersections like this one.
Jefferson Avenue Ranks Among Virginia's Most Dangerous Roads
The corridor's troubles extend well beyond this single intersection. Federal highway safety data analyzed by USAFacts placed Jefferson Avenue, also known as State Route 143, among the top five most dangerous roads in Virginia between 2020 and 2024, with 21 fatal crashes and 22 deaths recorded over that five-year span. That ranking put Jefferson Avenue fourth statewide, trailing only US-1 in Fairfax County and interstates 95 and 495.
Citywide numbers tell a similarly sobering story. Newport News logged 3,463 traffic collisions in 2024, resulting in 19 fatalities and 1,645 injuries, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Child Passenger Safety
With four children among the nine people injured, the crash highlights the importance of child passenger safety.
Separately, Virginia Code § 46.2-1094 requires seat belt use for vehicle occupants but explicitly bars evidence of a seat belt violation from being used as proof of negligence or to reduce damages in civil injury claims, per the same legal source — one of the few states to prohibit that defense. Non-profit safety group DRIVE SMART Virginia has reported that unbelted occupants face an eight-fold higher risk of dying in a crash compared to those who are restrained, even as statewide seat belt use holds at 81%, among the lowest rates in the nation.
It remains unclear what caused Wednesday's crash, including whether a traffic signal or right-of-way violation was involved, or whether any of the occupants were properly restrained. Newport News police have not announced whether summonses or criminal charges will be issued as the investigation continues.
