Three Virginia State Police troopers were struck throughout the Commonwealth Tuesday.
Trooper I.J. Dallam, Sr. was conducting stationary radar along Interstate 95 in Prince William County when he was struck around 3:30 a.m. He suffered non-life threatening injuries, and the 23-year-old offending driver was charged with reckless driving.
Several hours later, a car chase involving three troopers and a suspect was reported in the City of Suffolk along Route 460. The suspect involved struck one trooper's car twice before crashing into a tree and was later pronounced dead. The trooper who was struck suffered non-life threatening injuries.
"As a commander, it scares me," Sgt. Steven Mittendorff said. "To hear the call come out over the radio that a trooper or any law enforcement officer has been struck petrifies me."
In the third incident, a trooper pulled over a violator around 2 p.m. along Interstate 95 in Fairfax County. He was standing next to the violator's car when a passing car ran off the road and struck him.
He was hospitalized with serious injuries, while three others involved in the crash have also been hospitalized.
"The trooper had no idea what was occurring," Mittendorff said, adding drivers need to be aware of the state's Move Over law. "Slow down, and move over to the next lane to allow law enforcement or anyone rendering assistance the ability to work safely on the side of the roadway."
