Driver, 20, Was Legally Drunk in Fatal Va. Crash

A George Mason University student was legally drunk when she veered into the path of a tractor-trailer on a ramp of the Capital Beltway, killing herself and three friends, and police are trying to locate the person who provided the alcohol found in the car, authorities said yesterday.

An investigation of the June 14 crash near the Springfield Mixing Bowl revealed that the driver, Elaine M. Thackston, 20, had a blood-alcohol content above the .02 legal limit for someone under 21 and that she tested positive for marijuana, police said. They declined to say whether any of the four passengers, including a 17-year-old who survived, had been drinking or using drugs.

Police also said they found an open gallon of vodka, with about half of it gone, and a six-pack of beer in the white convertible Volkswagen, which was upside down, its roof gone. Reaction from family members of the victims ranged from resignation to anger yesterday.

"A drunk driver killed my kid. I can't change it. It is the way it is," said Richard Petkoff, whose daughter Lydia M. Petkoff, 18, of the Alexandria area, was among those killed.

The grandfather of Renee N. Shelkin, 18, of the Alexandria area, who was also killed, said he blamed Thackston, who was from Troy, N.H. "I believe if that girl had never shown up, this would never have happened," Barry Shelkin said yesterday. "Renee would be here today."

Thackston's mother, Andrea, declined to comment yesterday.

The development provided a sad coda to a crash that shattered graduation celebrations for students at a Fairfax County high school and provided yet another example of the dangers of drinking and driving. Petkoff and Shelkin had just graduated from West Potomac High School that day.

Also killed was Thackston's roommate at George Mason, Sarah R. Carter, 19, of the Alexandria area, a graduate of West Potomac. Petkoff was Carter's cousin. The injured teenager was a West Potomac student.

The five friends had been at one of their homes and were en route to Love nightclub in the District when their car crashed into the tractor-trailer, said Virginia State Police Sgt. Terry Licklider.

The crash occurred as the Volkswagen headed west on the Beltway's inner loop, in the middle lane of five, toward the Springfield interchange, police said. At 10:40 p.m., the car passed the exit, in the two left lanes, for southbound Interstate 95, then cut left across the striped pavement back toward the exit ramp and into the path of a 2007 Freightliner tractor-trailer carrying a full load of frozen foods.

In the right lane of the ramp, the Freightliner smashed into the car, drove it into a retaining wall and flipped it over, demolishing it. Thackston, Petkoff and Carter were not wearing seat belts and were ejected, Licklider said. It could not be determined whether the other two passengers had seat belts on because the damage was so severe.

Licklider said it was difficult to determine how large a role alcohol played in the crash, because other drivers told police Thackston appeared to be driving normally until just before impact. "There were no reports of impaired driving, nothing to indicate that she was weaving or doing anything unsafe or illegal," Licklider said.

"For whatever reason, she veered to the left, right in front of this tractor-trailer. We may never know why," he said. Thackston's sudden move was particularly odd, he said, because she would have needed to get onto Interstate 395 north to go to the District, not I-95 south. The exit for 395 was to the right.

A small amount of marijuana was also found in the car, Licklider said.

Thackston had been driving around the 50 mph speed limit but slowed to 10 mph when she was hit by the truck. "There was nothing to indicate excessive speed," Licklider said.

Mike Green, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving's Northern Virginia chapter, called the crash "a terrible tragedy" but said the test results reinforced that parents and schools should have a "zero tolerance" policy toward young people drinking at all, much less getting behind the wheel.

"People under 21 are impetuous, they are risk-takers and they are inexperienced," he said. "It is far more dangerous for a young person to drink and drive than for someone more mature."

The Freightliner was driven by Glenwood B. Spears, 42, of Sanford, N.C. He was not hurt. No charges were filed, and police said he was not at fault and was cooperative in the investigation.