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NORFOLK, Norfolk County, Va., Oct. 31, 2026 — A Chesapeake man has died following a three-vehicle crash on Friday morning, October 30, at the intersection of West Brambleton Avenue and Botetourt Street in Norfolk. The Norfolk Police Department said the driver may have suffered a medical emergency before the crash.
Officers responded at about 10:20 a.m. after Norfolk Fire-Rescue personnel reported the collision. A preliminary review found that 61-year-old Steven L. Pledger of Chesapeake was driving an Infiniti sedan eastbound on West Brambleton Avenue near Second Street when he appeared to suffer a medical emergency and lost control. The car reportedly crossed the median into oncoming lanes, continued over the bridge spanning The Hague, then crossed back over the median and hit the rear of a Chrysler Pacifica that was slowing for a red light at Botetourt Street.
The Infiniti then struck the side of a Ford Expedition stopped in the center lane at the light. After the two impacts, the car kept moving through the intersection, hit a utility pole and stopped.
Pledger was taken by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later, according to police. A passenger in the Infiniti and the driver of the Chrysler Pacifica were also taken to a hospital with injuries described as minor. The Norfolk Police Department's Traffic Unit is continuing to investigate the crash to determine all contributing factors.
Our sympathies are with the family of the person who lost their life.
Intersection Crashes in Virginia
This fatal crash happened at West Brambleton Avenue and Botetourt Street in Norfolk, VA. For more on crashes at intersections across Virginia, see our intersection safety guide for Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes crashes involving several vehicles harder to investigate?
Investigators have to reconstruct multiple points of impact and determine the order in which they happened, which usually takes longer than a two-vehicle crash and can involve input from several witnesses or agencies.
What commonly triggers chain-reaction crashes like this one?
A vehicle losing control, usually due to a mechanical failure, road hazard, or a driver's medical emergency, can send it into oncoming or cross traffic, creating a chain of secondary collisions before it comes to rest.
How can drivers limit the danger of getting caught in a multi-vehicle crash?
Keeping a safe following distance, staying alert to vehicles behaving erratically ahead, and being ready to brake or steer clear can help drivers avoid secondary impacts once an initial crash begins.
