The relatives of a pair of adult siblings, who died in a head-on collision last summer, are waiting for results from state officials and a Prince Edward County, Virginia, court. A preliminary hearing for a 21-year-old driver accused of causing the crash was set and delayed twice.

Prosecutors say the state forensic laboratory has not yet completed toxicology tests related to the case of the suspected wrongful deaths.

Police reports say the 21 and 23-year-old brother and sister were driving home from Farmville on an early July 2011 morning. Reports from authorities say a Ford Explorer driven by a Rustburg, Virginia, man was speeding along U.S. Highway 460 at estimated speeds of up to 80 mph. Investigators say the car was traveling in the wrong direction with its lights out at around 3 a.m. when the crash occurred.

Authorities say the Ford struck the siblings' Dodge PT Cruiser head-on, and the impact was forceful enough to set the Dodge on fire. The accident killed the brother and sister, each with children now being raised by other relatives.

The driver of the Ford is charged with DUI manslaughter and drunk driving.

The suspect was arrested more than once in the last two years for underage possession of alcohol. The man's license was suspended for a total of one year, six months, and he was ordered the to participate in a state Alcohol Safety Action Program in late 2009. By spring of 2010, he was arrested again.

The next scheduled hearing for the suspect is Feb. 6. Prosecutors hope to produce state toxicology test results and an autopsy report from the medical examiner's office.

While the family waits for justice in criminal court, they can pursue a civil lawsuit seeking to recover monetary damages from the negligent parties responsible for the deaths. A criminal conviction could even strengthen a wrongful death lawsuit.

Source: Lynchburg News Advance, "The Rest of the Story: Family trying to cope with loss of siblings," Chris Dumond, Dec. 26, 2011