Two women killed in Cumberland County

Virginia State Police are investigating the cause of a single-vehicle crash that claimed the lives of two Cumberland County women. At 1:55 p.m., state police were called to the scene on Route 45 less than a mile south of Route 631 in Cumberland County. A 2001 Nissan Pathfinder was traveling south on Route 45 when it ran off the right side of the road. The vehicle then crossed back over the road, crossed the centerline, and ran off the left side of the road. The vehicle struck a fence and a tree before overturning.

The driver, Dakota D. Blanton, 19, of Cartersville, Va., and her passenger, Nelmesha S. Hampton, 26, of Cartersville, Va., both died at the scene. Neither one was wearing a seat belt.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation at this time.