Most people drive safely on the roadways. Motorists don’t typically drive in a manner that will intentionally kill another person. Unfortunately, that was what happened when a man intentionally drove his car off the road and struck a New York State trooper. The trooper, a 13-year veteran, died at the scene.
The fatal car accident happened on the morning of May 29 on I-81. The 42-year-old trooper had pulled over a speeding vehicle. He had gotten out of vehicle when he was reportedly hit by a pickup truck driven by a 60-year-old man. The man also allegedly hit the BMW that the trooper had pulled over, but the driver was uninjured. Before hitting the trooper, the man had hit two other vehicles and caused minor injuries.
After hitting the trooper, the man continued on the interstate. He pulled over a short time later and ran off into the woods. Police dogs and 100 officers searched for the man and found him naked an hour later. He allegedly admitted to hitting the trooper on purpose and now faces a first-degree murder charge. He had been convicted of DUI in 2008.
Police are still investigating the incident to make sense of this tragic accident. Something triggered the man to snap, cross a lane of traffic and end up on the side of the road in pursuit of the officer. It is unknown what would cause a person to hit another person on purpose. Police didn’t think that intoxication was a factor, so perhaps mental illness could be to blame. Perhaps the results of the accident investigation will shine more light on what exactly happened.
Source: Democrat & Chronicle, “State Trooper dies in crash on I-81” Jon Harris, May. 30, 2014
