Vincent Prada, 46, Was Attorney in Washington

On July 23, Vincent Prada died in a car accident in Montgomery County, Md. He was 46 years old.

Vincent Prada was the son of Richard Prada and the late Maurita Prada of Edgartown. He was born in 1956 with his twin sister, Barbara. Growing up, one of his hobbies was fishing, once winning the junior division of the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. As a teenager, he worked many jobs about town, most memorably as a sales clerk and jack-of-all-trades at Avery's, which then became Robin Hood's Barn. He was graduated as the valedictorian from the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School in 1974.

Mr. Prada attended Williams College in Williamstown and was graduated magna cum laude in 1978 with a degree in political economy. Subsequently, he was accepted to the University of Chicago Law School. He was graduated with honors from law school in 1981 and became a member of the Order of the Coif.

Following graduation, he clerked in Chicago for the Hon. Richard Cudahy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Vincent's clerkship was for a year, during which time he met his future wife, Jana Singer, who was also serving a clerkship for Judge Cudahy. After his clerkship, he accepted a position with the law firm of Sidley & Austin in Chicago. In 1983, he moved to the Washington, D.C., office of the firm.

Mr. Prada became a partner of Sidley & Austin in 1989. He represented the nation's largest railroad companies in mergers, rate proceedings and the restructuring of the rail industry. He was a columnist for the newsletter of the Association for Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy.

After converting to Judaism, he married Jana Singer in 1985. They subsequently had two children, Michael and Joshua. He coached youth basketball and was an avid runner. He and his family were active members of the congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Md.

Mr. Prada is survived by his wife, Jana Singer, and their sons, Michael (age 15) and Joshua (age 12); his father, Richard Prada of Edgartown; his sisters, Barbara and Ursula Prada of Edgartown; his sister, Christine Eissenstat of Frederick, Md., and his sister, Mary Dombrowski of Allentown, Pa., and six nephews and one niece.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Edgartown Public Library, or the charity of one's choice.