One dead, one injured when car hits horse on Route 23 in Gate City

A Lee County, Virginia man is dead and the driver is critically injured after a car struck a horse early Monday in Gate City.

Jackson Harless, Jr., 44, of Pennington Gap, was a passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene on Route 23 southbound, according to a report from the Virginia State Police.

The driver of the car, Jackson Harless, Sr., 66, was transported to a local medical center. State Police are still investigating the crash including why the horse was in the roadway.