Washington County Coroner Mark Styninger says a 49-year-old Pinckneyville man has died as a result of an early Christmas morning single-vehicle crash in rural Ashley.
Christopher Wright was involved in a crash at North Carolina Road and County Highway 7 when his pickup truck left the road and struck a ditch. He was taken to the emergency room of the Washington County Hospital in Nashville, where he was pronounced dead at 2:10 Christmas morning.
A female passenger was transported from the scene directly to St. Louis University Hospital with major injuries.
Styninger says the cause of death appears to be accidental, with blunt force trauma and head injuries. Wright reportedly was an unrestrained driver at the time of the crash. Toxicology samples were obtained by the coroner for routine testing.
Agencies on the scene were the Washington County Ambulance Service, Nashville Fire Department, Nashville Police Department, and Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
The crash continues to be investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner’s Office.
