Midshipman Dies in Single-Car Crash

A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman died in a car crash near Fredericksburg on Monday while he was returning to the academy from leave, authorities said.

Aaron H. Reaves, 21, of Kennesaw, Ga., was headed back to Annapolis to start a summer training exercise when his car ran off the road and crashed into a tree near a U.S. Army base, authorities said.

The car was discovered shortly after 3 a.m. Monday during a routine patrol by military police at Fort A.P. Hill, Army officials said.

Virginia State Police said Reaves's 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt was headed north on Route 301, which travels through the base, when he ran off the road to the left, then overcorrected. The car crossed the road, then ran off the right side and hit a tree.

Reaves, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

Investigators said they found no evidence that alcohol or speed were factors in the crash.

"Fatigue driving may have played a role, but the cause of the accident is still being investigated," said Sergeant Thomas A. Cunningham Jr., a state police spokesman.

Reaves, a senior midshipman, was returning to the Naval Academy to resume training, Navy officials said. His family in Georgia could not be reached for comment.

Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, the Naval Academy superintendent, issued a statement, saying, "The Naval Academy is deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our sympathies and condolences go out to his family and friends."