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Police seek driver who struck trooper on I-77

Bluefield Daily Telegraph photo by Jon Bolt  A West Virginia State Trooper was struck by a vehicle near mile marker 15.5 on Interstate 77 North Thursday. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene of the incident.
Bluefield Daily Telegraph photo by Jon Bolt
A West Virginia State Trooper was struck by a vehicle near mile marker 15.5 on Interstate 77 North Thursday. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene of the incident.

PRINCETON, W.Va. — Police are still searching for a vehicle that struck a West Virginia State Police Trooper Thursday along Interstate 77 in Mercer County and then fled the scene of the crash.

The hit and run was reported at approximately 5:12 a.m. Thursday morning when Trooper First Class D.R. White of the West Virginia State Police Parkways Authority (Turnpike) parked his cruiser on the shoulder of the roadway on I- 77 north at the 15.5 mile marker near Athens to remove debris near the middle of the roadway, according to Lt. Michael Baylous, a public information officer for the West Virginia State Police.

Baylous said White’s cruiser bar light, complete with directional blue and red lighting to alert motorists to move left, was activated at the time. On his way back to the cruiser, White was struck by a vehicle.  Baylous said it is believed that he was struck by the passenger side mirror of the vehicle.

Baylous said White received injuries which forced him to crawl off the roadway, back to his cruiser. At approximately 5:21 a.m., he issued a radio call for medical assistance. Baylous said White was treated and released Thursday morning from an area hospital and is experiencing considerable overall pain.

Baylous said the driver of the vehicle failed to stop and render aid to White. The West Virginia State Police is continuing to investigate this incident.

Baylous said video surveillance tapes along the I-77 corridor are currently being reviewed.

Baylous said authorities do not know if the suspect vehicle has already left the state or not. He said the driver of the vehicle should have realized that he or she struck someone…

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