Man dead after car crashes near Peabody’s at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront

A 28-year-old Virginia Beach man died when a car fleeing police crashed into a traffic signal pole near the Peabody’s building Friday night at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Three Virginia Beach police officers were injured trying to rescue the driver after the car caught fire, according to a news release from state police.

Just before 11 p.m., a Virginia state trooper saw a Toyota sedan speeding down Interstate 264 near the First Colonial exit heading toward the Oceanfront, the release said. The car was traveling at more than 100 mph, and the trooper attempted to stop the vehicle.

As the Toyota passed Parks Avenue and left the interstate, the trooper deactivated his emergency equipment, police said.

At the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 21st Street, the sedan sideswiped several vehicles as it neared stopped traffic. Then it crashed near the Peabody’s building at that intersection.

Peabody’s nightclub is on the second floor and The Bunker Brewpub is on the first floor of the building. The entrance to Peabody’s is at ground level.

The vehicle caught fire and the driver died on impact, police said. Three Virginia Beach police officers suffered smoke inhalation as they attempted to rescue the driver, state police said. Two pedestrians were hit by debris. One was taken to a hospital, the other refused treatment.

Brandon Ramsey, owner of Peabody’s, was standing in front of the nightclub’s entrance around 11 p.m..

“I’m very happy to be alive,” he said Saturday morning.

He saw the car speeding down 21st Street.

“It was all surreal,” Ramsey said. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to hit that pole.’ All of a sudden — bam.”

Ramsey said the car rammed the traffic signal pole. He saw a car door fly across the sidewalk and glass shards everywhere.

He quickly evacuated about 200 people inside Peabody’s. Ramsey said a band was playing next door at the brew pub, and people who had been standing in front of the building had just gone back inside before the crash.

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Henry Hagan, maintenance manager for Ocean Horizon properties, arrived early Saturday to clean the adjacent parking lot and surrounding areas.

Skid marks from the car’s tires were still visible on the street and around the base of the traffic signal pole.

“If he had not hit this pole he would have gone through the building,” Hagan said.

The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle, police said. He was identified as Andy Lee Curry, 28, of Virginia Beach.