The West Virginia State Police is
looking statewide for the driver who struck a trooper on the West Virginia
Turnpike early Thursday morning.
State Police spokesman Lt. Michael
Baylous said Trooper First Class D.R. White noticed some debris in the
northbound lanes a few miles north of Princeton
at 5:12 a.m. He put his cruiser’s emergency lights on, got out and went into
I-77 to remove it. On his way back to the cruiser the passenger’s side mirror
of a car struck him and knocked him to the ground. The driver didn’t stop.
Lt. Baylous said Trooper White may have
lost consciousness. He had to crawl back to his cruiser and call for help. He
was taken to an area hospital and later released.
State law requires motorists to slow
down and get over when they see police cruiser emergency lights.
State Police are checking security video of the Turnpike to see
if they can find the driver. Baylous said it would be best for that person to
call the State Police.
