Jan. 31, 2022
Police
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA – The Chesterfield County Police Department is continuing its "In Memory Of" campaign to encourage safe driving.
Today, the department is releasing a new video and beginning a week-long traffic enforcement effort in memory of Carlos Pereira III, who died in a crash on June 26, 2021.
Pereira, 25, was driving north on Courthouse Road when his vehicle veered off the roadway and struck a tree. Pereira, of Chesterfield, was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The investigation indicates Pereira was distracted by his phone and not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.
The video, which premiered on the department's social media channels today in English and in Spanish, features an interview with Elizabeth Rosario, Carlos' mother, in which she describes the impact and aftermath of losing her son. The traffic enforcement efforts will focus on distracted driving, seat belt use, speeding and impaired driving.
"Wearing your seat belt can significantly reduce your chance of injury or death if you are in a collision," said Sgt. Stephan Rouze, who leads the department's Traffic Safety Section.
"The crash that Carlos Pereira was in was survivable," Rouze continued. "The Chesterfield County Police Department encourages all motorists to put their phone down and to buckle up in Carlos’ memory."