STUART, Va. — In an apparent case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, a “totally innocent” local man has died in a collision that occurred at the tail end of a high-speed pursuit through four counties.
Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith on Sunday afternoon confirmed the identity of the victim as Bobby Wayne Gammons, 81, of Mount Airy, who was listed as a resident of Belvue Drive.
Gammons was killed Friday afternoon when his 2005 Toyota Corolla collided head-on with a a 2010 Toyota Corolla driven by Christine S. Barnette, 41, of Cary, North Carolina, according to details attributed to the Virginia State Police.
This occurred just east of Stuart on U.S. 58 as Gammons was approaching an intersection at a Walmart Supercenter, where authorities had closed down its westbound portion in an effort to stop the Barnette car and prevent such a crash, according to Smith.
But the driver being chased apparently had other ideas for the pursuit that had begun in Halifax County many miles away.
“After the suspect vehicle came through the intersection at Walmart, it veered into the oncoming, eastbound lane near Patrick County Family Practice and collided with another vehicle,” says statements released Sunday by Sheriff Smith.
The Mount Airy man in that car was declared dead at the scene, while the suspect was airlifted to a Virginia hospital with injuries described as life-threatening.
“The reckless, careless and selfish actions of one person took the life of a totally innocent person (Friday) and that is sickening,” added Smith, who said the Virginia State Police is the lead agency for the investigation.
Based on information attributed to it, the deadly collision in Patrick had its origins with Barnette staying illegally in a vacant cabin at Staunton River State Park in Halifax County.
The North Carolina woman was encountered and initially chased by park rangers, with the pursuit subsequently winding its way onto U.S. 58, continuing into neighboring Pittsylvania and Henry counties and the city of Martinsville along the highway’s path into Patrick.
At one point, Barnette reportedly hit a Halifax County deputy’s vehicle during a containment maneuver by officers.
Sheriff Dan Smith advised that authorities in Patrick County were notified about 1 p.m. Friday that the Martinsville Police Department and Virginia State Police were in pursuit of a car traveling at “recklessly at high speeds” en route to the Stuart area.
Smith mentioned that county deputies and state troopers tried unsuccessfully multiple times to halt Barnette’s car with spike strips to puncture the tires.
“The law enforcement officers from the three agencies involved did everything possible to try and prevent the tragedy that occurred and our hearts are broken for the innocent life that was lost,” the Patrick sheriff concluded.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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