NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – A man has been convicted in a fatal crash on I-64 in Norfolk that happened in September 2021.
Jonathan Brownell, 35, was convicted of aggravated involuntary vehicular manslaughter on Monday after pleading guilty to the charge in Norfolk Circuit Court.
On September 15, 2021, around 2:30 a.m. Brownwell was driving on I-64 near Granby Street when he sped through a construction zone and almost hit workers.
Brownwell swerved and crashed into a stationary sweeper truck, killing 21-year-old Samantha Leigh Sims instantly.
According to the car’s airbag control module, Brownell was driving between 95 and 103 miles per hour seconds before impact.
The car was pinned under the street sweeper truck, and emergency personnel had to cut open the vehicle to extract Brownell from the driver’s seat.
Virginia State Police troopers said they noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from the inside of the vehicle and, when Brownell was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, he was observed to have watery, glassy, and bloodshot eyes.
Brownell’s blood was drawn about an hour following the crash, and his blood alcohol content was estimated to be between .16 and .18, more than twice the legal limit.
Brownell is docketed for sentencing on June 23.
