BRAXTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Three people lost their lives after a car collided in a river. One of the dead is a volunteer firefighter, who was trying to save a mother and child who were in the accident. New information has been released by the West Virginia State Fire Department, which is also conducting an investigation. Deputy Chief of Staff Robbie Bailey told the WV Fire Brigade that correspondents first received a call from a vehicle on the Elk River with potential people inside. The Sutton Volunteer Fire Department and the Gassaua Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene near the Braxton County Superior Service Center parking lot. They responded with the Braxton County Sheriff’s Office and the WVSP. Correspondents found what is believed to be a mom and a child who destroyed a medium-sized SUV from the parking lot on the river on Sunday afternoon, according to Bailey. “This vehicle was in this parking lot here at the Braxton County Elderly Center and crossed the parking lot and then ended up on the Elk River,” Bailey said. When firefighters went to rescue operations, Bailey said a Gassaway Firefighter went to the river to help with the rescue and died. “The county sheriff’s office and state police also responded, and during that response we had a male volunteer firefighter who, while in the water, had some complications and ended up down,” Bailey said. Bailey was able to provide more information about the woman and child who died. “These people who were in this vehicle from our preliminary investigation show that they were not locals,” Bailey said. “There is a lot of emotion associated with this, not only with the families of all these people involved, but also with these emergency correspondents, as emergency correspondents in Braxton County and West Virginia are very close.” The Marshal of the Fire Brigade will also give information to the public about their investigation. “The role of the state fire brigade here is due to the death of a volunteer firefighter who is a member of a West Virginia volunteer fire department,” Bailey said. “Any death is tragic, so knowing that we have one death, now two deaths, now three.” More information about the investigation will be made public by the office of the Braxton County Sheriff who handles the accident. This is a growing story, keep checking WSAZ. Original story A car accident on the Elk River resulted in many casualties near the Herold Bridge. According to Braxton County Director of Emergency Management, the crash happened around 2:30 p.m. Sunday just south of Sutton, along I-79 near Exit 62 opposite the Officers Center. Two people in the car lost their lives, an adult and a child. Both occupants drowned in the accident. A volunteer firefighter operating a rescue operation was also drowned. According to a statement, an MP and a state soldier managed to pull one of the victims out of the water. They also managed to rescue another person who was trying to locate victims but had begun to retreat. This person is expected to be okay. There are no names or additional information at this time. The crews completed the rescue operation around 4:55 p.m. The Braxton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident. They were assisted by West Virginia State Police, Braxton County EMS and several volunteer fire departments. Keep checking your WSAZ application for the latest information. Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
