Virginia Police Officers Injured, Killed in Separate Accidents on Same Night | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

The night of Oct. 5, 2012, proved particularly dangerous for police officers in the eastern half of Virginia. A Virginia Beach, VA, officer was injured when struck by debris from an accident caused by a drunk driver, and a state trooper directing traffic at the State Fair in Hanover County lost his life when struck by an SUV. Both law enforcement officials were standing by the side of the road doing their jobs to ensure public safety.

The crash in Virginia Beach occurred on I-264 at the Lynnhaven Parkway interchange. According to the Virginian-Pilot, a man now facing DUI and failure to move over for a stationary emergency vehicle charges slammed into the police officer’s cruiser and flipped. Parts of both cars rained down on the officer, who required hospital treatment for his injuries.

The fatal accident northeast of Richmond did not immediately bring charges for the driver of the Jeep Cherokee involved. The Roanoke Times reported, however, that the incident is being treated as a death due to negligence or recklessness by the driver. The trooper was apparently not in the roadway near the intersection of Route 30 and Theme Park Way.

 

Officer-involved interstate crash

 

The Virginia Personal Injury Lawyers’ Perspective

Whenever we write about police officers, other emergency responders or road crew workers getting injured or killed by drivers while doing their jobs, we stress the importance of obeying so-called “move over laws.” The message that people approaching work zones, accident scenes and traffic stops must slow down or change lanes to create space and time simply never seems to get through.

We send our condolences to the friends and family of the deceased state trooper, along with our wishes for a full and speedy recovery for the Virginia Beach officer.

 

Potentially Helpful Info

If you or a member of your family got hospitalized by a traffic accident caused by another driver, download this free report written by Virginia personal injury and wrongful death attorneys to begin learning about your legal rights and options for holding that person accountable.

 

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You can learn more by reading through our extensive online library of lawyers’ answers to frequently asked questions about car, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents.

 

EJL