CHARLESTON, W.Va. — According to multiple state officials, well-known Charleston businessman and former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates Doug Skaff Jr. was killed in a wreck on Interstate 79 in Lewis County.
Skaff, 48, of South Charleston, died after his vehicle crashed in between the Jane Lew and Weston exits in southbound lanes at around 4:15 Tuesday afternoon.
Skaff, who was the president of HD Media, served for more than a decade in the House of Delegates. During that time, he served as House Majority Leader. Skaff also ran for Senate and Secretary of State during his political career but was defeated in both races.
Governor Patrick Morrisey posted on X (formerly Twitter) about Skaff’s passing.
I am heartbroken to hear about the passing of our friend Doug Skaff. Doug was a longtime state legislator, the Minority Leader of the West Virginia House of Delegates, and omnipresent in the Charleston community. He will be greatly missed by many.
Please keep Doug’s family and… pic.twitter.com/JJjS6tmoTe
— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) June 11, 2025
Congressman Riley Moore put out a statement Tuesday evening regarding the passing of Skaff.
“Tonight, Mina and I join the people of West Virginia in grieving the loss of a true Mountaineer. Doug Skaff, my good friend, was a West Virginian through and through. From his time as Student Body President at West Virginia University to his time in the West Virginia House of Delegates, Doug loved our state and our people,” Moore said.
“When we both had kids at Sacred Heart, Doug and I coached our kids’ soccer team together, and I got to see firsthand how much he loved his boys. My family cherishes memories of those soccer games, and Doug is a big part of each of them. Our hearts break for the beautiful family he leaves behind. We pray that Marisa and their boys find peace in the wake of such horrible tragedy,” he continued.
“Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”
In his most recent business project, Skaff, alongside a group of investors, purchased the popular Fazio’s Italian Restaurant in Charleston. Skaff, who appeared on “580 Live” with Dave Allen on May 22, said that his team was working to keep all of the traditions, recipes, and aesthetics of the restaurant the same as it had been for decades under the original family owners.
Also, during the most recent interview, Skaff gave an update on his recovery process from multiple copperhead bites. Skaff was bitten by multiple snakes in Danville while picking up campaign signs after running for Secretary of State in 2024 and spent several weeks in the hospital.
Skaff reported that he had made significant in the year since the bites, saying he was “just blessed” to be able to walk and stand. Skaff said he still could not run and jump, but he was starting to get active again.