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Police arrived on scene of fatal Lucks Lane crash six hours later

Posted at 6:16 PM, Sep 03, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-03 18:50:51-04

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WTVR) -- Early Labor Day morning, 20-year old Matthew Farr lost his life after crashing his SUV into a tree off Lucks Lane in Chesterfield.

Police estimate the time of the crash being around 2:30 a.m.

However, emergency responders did not arrive at the location of the crash until well after eight in the morning.

CBS 6 wanted to find out why.

"Apparently the crash happened earlier in the evening and police didn't receive a call until later that morning," Lt. Timothy Spivey, an officer with the Chesterfield Police Department, said.

Spivey said that even though neighbors in the St. James West community heard the 2001 Lexus crash into a tree, no person called 911 until 8:30 a.m.

One of those neighbors that heard the crash is Chrissy Tucker, who described it as a loud bang. Tucker says she thought it was a tree falling or even a raccoon, not a fatal car crash.

"This was very loud but I guess sometimes you automatically assume somebody's going to call 911," Tucker said.

Chesterfield Police are still investigating the cause of the crash in the first place and are not saying right now if an earlier 911 call would of saved Farr's life.

As for Farr's family, they are heartbroken.

"That's really heartbreaking," Heather Taylor, Farr's cousin, said.

Taylor said that the family hopes Farr's death is a lesson to all to be overly cautious.

"It could of been your child or your neighbor who was out there hurt and people need to call and send help," Taylor said.