Fatal Crash on Kanawha State Forest Drive

DAVIS CREEK, WV –On Tuesday, May 13, 2026, at approximately 9:30 a.m., deputies with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-vehicle crash on Kanawha State Forest Drive.

The investigation has determined that a pickup truck being operated by Matthew Cornell, 56, of Charleston, was traveling on Kanawha State Forest Drive when the vehicle exited the roadway and struck a tree. The vehicle then overturned and came to rest on its top in a creek bed.

The passenger in the vehicle was identified as Tracey Cornell, 55, of Charleston.

Both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene.

This incident remains under active investigation by  The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.

The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone to wear their seatbelts whenever they are operating or occupying a moving motor vehicle.