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Shanks woman killed

July 14th, 2012 by WCBC Radio

According to West Virginia State Police, a Shanks woman was fatally injured early Thursday evening when she swerved to avoid a tractor-trailer that traveled into her lane of traffic and then struck a second rig on U.S. Route 50 at Shanks.
Elizabeth Whitacre, 68, was pronounced dead at the scene following the 6:40 p.m. crash that occurred near the roadside park, according to Trooper D.J. Smith of the Romney detachment, who is continuing to investigate the incident.

Whitacre was driving a Ford Escort westbound when an eastbound tractor-trailer operated by Freddie Shumake, 62, of Orange, Va., traveled into the westbound lane, causing Whitacre to swerve off the north roadway edge, police said.

The Whitacre vehicle then re-entered the roadway into the eastbound lane where it struck the left side of a tractor-trailer operated by Walter C. Davis of Romney.

Preliminary evidence and witness statements indicated that Davis attempted to avoid being struck by the Whitacre vehicle by traveling off the south roadway edge

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