ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Albemarle County Police Department’s Traffic Unit has charged the driver involved in a fatal April 30, 2025, motor vehicle crash in Esmont.

The Albemarle County Police Department and Albemarle County Fire Rescue were dispatched to a report of a single-vehicle crash in the area of Irish Road and Chestnut Grove Road in Esmont at approximately 3:21 p.m.

Upon arrival, first responders located a vehicle that had struck a tree. The driver, Sierra C. Thomas, 19, of Esmont, was transported to UVA Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The passenger, 19-year-old Ava G. Bright of North Garden, was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation by the Albemarle County Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Team.

Thomas has been charged with the following:

  • Involuntary manslaughter as a result of driving under the influence of an intoxicant (18.2-36.1)
  • Manufacture, sell, or possess a fictitious license or identification (18.2-204.2)
  • Driving without a license (46.2-300)
  • Failure to use a seat belt (46.2-1094)

Thomas is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail without bond.

The Albemarle County Police Department is using the accident as a reminder that driving under the influence is never acceptable and asking all drivers to make safe choices: buckle up, slow down, and never drive impaired.