RICHMOND, Va. -- Capitol Police have charged a man in relation to a crash that occurred in Capitol Square just north of the Bell Tower early Friday morning.
55-year-old Carl Jackson of Petersburg was charged with failure to maintain lane and driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated. He is scheduled to appear in Richmond General District Court Monday morning.
The accident occurred just before 3:15 a.m. when Jackson was traveling eastbound in a white 2013 Nissan sedan on Franklin Street at a high speed and failed to properly make a left turn onto 9th Street. The vehicle then jumped the curb, went across the sidewalk and through the Capitol Square fencing just north of the Tower, coming to rest about 15 feet inside the fence and causing extensive damage to both the fence and the vehicle.
The Capitol Police responded quickly to the scene along with the Richmond Police and Fire Departments and the Richmond Ambulance Authority. The two male occupants of the vehicle were transported to VCU Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
The State Department of General Services estimated the damage to the historic cast and wrought iron fencing to be approximately $30,000 and indicated it will take four to eight weeks to repair.
