Wrong-Way SUV Hits Car, Kills 4

Four people ranging in age from 19 to 21 were killed early yesterday in Culpeper County, Va., when their car collided with a vehicle that was going the wrong way, Virginia State Police said.

Police said a Chevy Tahoe sport-utility vehicle was driving on the wrong side of a two-lane stretch of Route 3 when it struck the Toyota Corolla about 2:50 a.m.

Those killed were identified as Tyler S. Harlow, 20, of Ruckersville, Va., the driver of the Corolla, and his three passengers, Tianna V. Jones, 19, of Stanardsville, Va., Joseph L. Sahnow, 20, of Ruckersville and James B. Cook, 21, of Marshfield, Vt.

Police said all four died at the scene, which is in the Stevensville area of the county, east of the Town of Culpeper and about 55 miles southwest of Washington.

A man in the Toyota survived the crash, police said. He was identified as Howard J. Steiniger, 27, of Fredericksburg. His condition could not be learned immediately.

It was not clear last night where the five were coming from or where they were going. Ruckersville, the driver's home town, is about halfway between Culpeper and Charlottesville.

The driver of the Tahoe was identified as a 29-year-old man.

The crash remained under investigation last night, said Sgt. Les Tyler, a spokesman for the state police region that includes Culpeper.