2 killed when vehicle crashes into Marshall Co. bank

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. --

Two people were killed when the vehicle they were in lost control and crashed into a bank in Marshall County.


The crash happened just after 3 a.m. on state Route 2 south, killing the driver, 22-year-old Steve Berardi Jr., and his passenger, 24-year-old George Martin, police said.


Moundsville Police Chief Tom Mitchell said the crash was possibly caused "in part to the rainy conditions, but also due to the speed of the vehicle."


Investigators said they believe the car was traveling at a high rate of speed when it lost control, hit a fire hydrant and crashed into Progressive Bank. Police said the car was so badly damaged, the make was unrecognizable.


"It did extensive damage to the front of the bank, and of course there's a tragic loss of life as two young residents have lost their life due to the crash," Mitchell said.


He said there may be a black box in the vehicle that may determine the speed at the time of the crash.


The road was closed in the area of the crash for some time, and, despite the damage and subsequent repair work, the bank was open on Friday.


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