Heartache on Lens Creek Road: 8-Year-Old Ethelyn Grubb Dies in Head-On Collision That Shattered a Community

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — In the late afternoon of December 2, a quiet winter afternoon turned into devastating tragedy when 8-year-old Ethelyn Grubb lost her life in a violent head-on crash on Lens Creek Road, leaving her family and neighbors grappling with grief and unanswered questions. The tiny girl’s death has cast a long shadow over the close-knit community, where parents, teachers and friends are struggling to make sense of what should have been just another day.

At approximately 4:53 p.m. in the 2000 block of Lens Creek Road, emergency dispatchers received frantic calls reporting a serious two-vehicle collision. A utility van from a local plumbing and HVAC company and an SUV collided nearly squarely in opposite lanes, the force slamming the utility truck onto its side and pitching the SUV into a roadside ditch. The violent impact painted a scene of total destruction on a stretch of road usually filled with routine commutes.

Witnesses at the scene recall the immediate aftermath: one passerby leapt into action, administering CPR to Ethelyn as first responders raced to the wreckage. Fire crews from the Marmet Volunteer Fire Department, paramedics from Kanawha County EMS, and deputies from the Sheriff’s Office worked with urgency, but despite their best efforts, Ethelyn’s injuries were too severe. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ethelyn had been seated in the front passenger seat of the SUV, driven by her mother, Kayla Jacobs. Deputies confirmed that Jacobs was taken from the scene by medics for treatment of her injuries, as was the driver of the utility van. Initial findings from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Accident Reconstruction Unit indicate the SUV had been traveling in the wrong lane at the moment of impact — but investigators have stressed the probe is ongoing, seeking to piece together every factor that led up to the heartbreaking crash.

For many in the area, Ethelyn was more than a brief flash in a news cycle. She was a curious child with a bright smile, a student who loved school, and a daughter who brought joy to all who knew her. Teachers have remembered her gentle spirit, classmates talked about her laughter, and neighbors recall her playful energy in the community — small details that suddenly feel enormous in the face of loss.

In the days since the accident, flowers, cards and teddy bears have lined parts of Lens Creek Road, each one a quiet testament to the sorrow felt by strangers and friends alike. Community leaders have called for kindness and patience on local roads, urging drivers to be mindful of one another, especially as winter weather can make travel treacherous.

Though the official investigation continues, there are no charges against either driver at this time. Deputies say they are reviewing all evidence to fully understand what happened that afternoon, hoping that answers can offer some small comfort to a family in mourning. For many here, the image of Ethelyn’s bright eyes and gentle laugh will linger far longer than the winter chill.