Virginia Injury Lawyer Blog

FedEx worker dies in rollover truck crash in Chesapeake

A Virginia Beach Web designer who had started a new job with FedEx was killed Friday afternoon when the truck he was riding in rolled over on Fentress Airfield Road in Chesapeake, the Virginian-Pilot reported. 

Andrew Copeland, 38, of Virginia Beach, was thrown from the truck during the crash, which happened at about 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Copeland was a passenger in the truck, the newspaper reported, and was training a new driver when the accident happened. The driver, headed south, swerved to avoid oncoming traffic, a Chesapeake police spokesman told the Pilot. The truck left the road and rolled.

WVEC-TV reported that the driver pulled to the side of the road to allow traffic pass, but ran off the road, overcorrected, and lost control, triggering the rollover.

WAVY-TV reported that it was not known whether either person was wearing a seat belt.

Copeland’s widow, Rhonda, said to the newspaper that he took the FedEx job after his Web design business – Web Design by Cope LLC – slowed. 

“He loved technology, computers and things like that,” Rhonda Copeland told the Pilot. “He was real friendly, outgoing, always talking to people.” Andrew Copeland, in a video he posted to YouTube last year, discusses the Web design services he offers. 

FedEx spokesman David Westrick told the Pilot that both men – the driver remains unidentified and was treated for minor injuries – worked for a FedEx Ground contractor.  

“Our thoughts and prayers and condolences go out to their families and friends,” Westrick said, according to the Pilot. “Our goal right now is to figure out what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Labels: accident accident lawyer chesapeake fatal truck accident wrongful death