Student crashes car into Westhampton Lake on snow day

While a blizzard struck Richmond Monday night and into Tuesday morning, the University of Richmond Police Department dealt with two, separate single-car crashes, one ending with a red SUV flipped on its side in Westhampton Lake and the other resulting in a reckless driving charge, said Beth Simonds, assistant chief of police.

The two Richmond College students did not suffer injuries after the driver of the SUV lost control of the vehicle on College Road and swerved into the lake Tuesday afternoon, Simonds said. A friend of the driver confirmed that the driver did not suffer any injuries.

A Westhampton College student was charged with reckless driving Monday night after her crash on Westhampton Way by South Court caused “fairly minor” damage and left her without any injuries, Simonds said.

The University of Richmond closed on Monday at 4:00, and all classes and events scheduled for Tuesday were cancelled, as Richmond was hit with the largest snowstorm of the winter.

Six to eight inches of snow fell in Richmond and the surrounding areas, while parts of Powhatan County, which lies west of the city of Richmond, recorded up to 11 inches of snow, according to the Associated Press.

The University of Richmond will be open Wednesday because roads leading to campus are passable, according to a school-wide email.

Although Richmond will return to a normal operating schedule tomorrow, the email reminded students to use their best judgment in making safe travel decisions.

Contact reporter Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu