Veteran Manassas reporter sustains injuries in car accident

Residents of Manassas, Virginia, may have heard that longtime newsman Bennie Scarton Jr., considered by his colleagues to be the ironman of local news in Manassas, was injured in an auto accident in Culpeper recently. The 50-year veteran of local news organizations was headed for a vacation getaway when the accident took place. He was traveling with his wife and granddaughter, and fortunately neither of them was injured in the accident.

The 75-year-old Scarton was taken to Culpeper Regional Hospital where he was treated for fractures to his right hand, left knee and left ankle. His 2006 Ford Taurus was hit head-on by a 68-year-old woman from Brightwood. Police have charged the woman with reckless driving, but a Virginia state police sergeant said that she may have suffered some kind of medical problem shortly before her 2005 Hyundai made contact with Scarton’s vehicle.

In spite of the accident, Scarton and his family eventually made their way to the vacation home they were planning to visit. The columnist was being cared for by family members as he recovered, and he said he was intent on visiting the newsroom to assure his colleagues that he was alright. Scarton said he had never taken a sick day in his half-century as a Manassas reporter.

The driver whose car hit Scarton’s was also treated at Culpeper Regional Hospital, but information about her condition was not released. Traffic on U.S. Highway 29 Business was halted for about 45 minutes to clear the scene of the accident.

Source: The Inside Nova News, “UPDATE: N&M reporter Bennie Scarton injured in Culpeper crash,” Nov. 22, 2011