A father was found dead after he ditched his car and attempted to walk six miles to his house during a blizzard in Virginia last week.
The body of 34-year-old Jacob Whaley was discovered by local authorities on Thursday evening, according to WTVR. His body was discovered over 200 yards from where he left his car and decided to walk home in an attempt to “find a path through the woods,” his sister Angela Whaley told the outlet.
“He was trying to find a path through the woods because there is a neighborhood that he lives that he could’ve gotten to and walked right across the street and been able to get home,” said Angela.
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Whaley had ditched his car on Monday night after his car slid into a ditch near the Hanover County line around 8:30 p.m., his family told the outlet. The county line is shared with both Spotsylvania and Louisa counties.
Around 8:45 p.m., Whaley’s family had received a final text message from him, after which they informed the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office that he had gotten lost, WRIC reported. His last known location showed him at Greenes Corner Road.
“He got out to walk because the power is out. He couldn’t see houses or street names,” Angela said to WTVR. “His phone was only on 14 percent when he started to walk. He got lost. He wasn’t that far from the house.”
While both the Hanover and Spotsylvania sheriff’s offices assisted the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office in their search for Whaley, they were limited to searching within their jurisdictions, the offices informed WTRV.
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“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Jacob Whaley,” the Louisa Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, according to WRIC. “Missing Person’s cases are always a top priority for the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office and we share in their grief and sorrow.”
Both Angela and her mother, Shannon Whaley, are among the family members who are “angry” with local law enforcement officials and feel as if more could’ve been done to help Whaley, according to WRIC.
“All they had to do was go out and holler for him,” Shannon said.
Angela said she feels that “Louisa County let him freeze to death.”
Hundreds of drivers were left stranded on Interstate 95 in Virginia for hours, with many claiming that they were stuck on the highway for more than 19 hours, including Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.
I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol. My office is in touch with @VaDOT to see how we can help other Virginians in this situation. Please stay safe everyone. pic.twitter.com/Sz1b1hZJZ5
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) January 4, 2022
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office for a statement but did not receive a response.
