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Victims identified in Rockbridge County crash that left 3 dead after vehicle found in campground lake

The vehicle was completely submerged into the lake except for the bottom of the tires, police say

Samantha Day, Dakota Bennett and Michael Bennett (McLaughlin & Young Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va, – We now know the names of the mother, father and son who died after a crash earlier this week in Rockbridge County.

Samantha “Sammy” Day, 27, of Goshen, a 6-year-old boy and Michael Bennett, 38, of Goshen, died in the crash, according to Virginia State Police.

While authorities did not identify the boy, Day’s obituary also lists her 6-year-old son, Dakota Bennett as having died in the crash. The obituary also identified Bennett as the boy’s father and Day’s boyfriend.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to help with the funeral expenses. Please mail a check made payable to McLaughlin & Young Funeral, P. O. Box 1112, Hot Springs, Virginia 24445 or call 540-839-2961 with a credit card.


Virginia State Police are investigating a fatal crash that happened Tuesday afternoon in Rockbridge County.

At about 12:07 p.m., state police responded to a call about a vehicle in a lake on private campground property located off Route 39 on Maury River Road in Goshen.

Authorities said further investigation revealed a Toyota sedan and its three occupants were last seen Monday night leaving the campground at about 11 p.m.

The vehicle traveled about 0.3 miles from the campground towards Route 39 when it ran off the side of the road, overturned down a steep embankment before it ended upside down in the lake, police said.

According to authorities, the vehicle was completely submerged into the lake except for the bottom of the tires.

A woman and a boy were recovered from the vehicle while a man was recovered from the lake.

Police have not released any names of the victims as state police are in the process of notifying their next of kin.

According to police, no criminal activity is suspected at this stage of the investigation and the incident is being investigated as a fatal crash.

The Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office assisted with search efforts.


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Nicole Del Rosario joined WSLS 10 in August 2020.