One killed, one charged in Danville wreck

A Pittsylvania County man was killed late Sunday night after the car he was riding in struck a tree on Riverside Drive. The driver of the car has been charged with driving under the influence.

Shortly before 10 p.m., police responded to a traffic accident in the 2800 block of Riverside Drive, according to a news release from the Danville Police Department.

Police said a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette driven by Charles Wayne Barnett Jr. ran off the roadway and hit a tree in the grassy median area.

The passenger in the vehicle, Thomas Gardner Ford, 38, of Pittsylvania County, died from injuries sustained in the wreck, police said.

Barnett, also 38 and from Pittsylvania County, was transported to Danville Regional Medical Center where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police have charged Barnett with driving under the influence.

The investigation is ongoing.

Ford was born in Danville and spent most of his life in Blairs, according to his obituary.

He graduated from Dan River High School in 1988 and worked for Multiwall Packaging Inc.

• Contact Sarah Arkin at or (434) 791-7983.