November 12, 2014- Henrico, Va.
Shortly before 8:00 PM on Tuesday evening, a man was struck and killed by a vehicle on I-95 in Henrico County after running from a Virginia State Police trooper.
The trooper responded to a report of a disabled vehicle in the southbound lanes of I-95 and discovered a man standing by the vehicle. When approached by the trooper, the man walked along the shoulder of the interstate away from the trooper before running across traffic lanes and onto the median.
According to a statement from the Virginia State Police, “When the trooper approached the man in the median, a struggle ensued and the man ran from the trooper into the southbound lanes. A southbound vehicle was unable to avoid the pedestrian and struck him.”
The man, whose identity has not been released, died at the scene. No one else was injured.
Generally, disobeying a police officer by running away or ignoring instructions can lead to charges, even if the original arrest or stop is invalid. Here, the trooper in question was reportedly responding to provide assistance. It is unclear why the victim ran into traffic when approached by the trooper or how the “struggle” commenced.
The incident is still under investigation and it may be in best interest of the victim’s family to engage legal counsel. An experienced attorney will help ensure a thorough investigation and justice for the victim.