PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A woman is dead and a Chesterfield man is facing life-threatening injuries after a car chase on Interstate 95 reportedly ended in a shootout with Virginia State Police in Prince William County.
Shortly before 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, a state trooper was alerted to a Jeep Cherokee bearing improper license plates. It was also discovered that the Jeep was wanted out of New York for an alleged abduction of a woman that had occurred earlier that day.
The Jeep was driving south on I-95 near the Backlick Road exit in Fairfax County when the trooper pulled the driver over. The trooper made contact with the driver before returning to his patrol car where he positively identified the driver as the wanted abduction suspect.
According to police, the trooper began walking back to the Jeep when the driver suddenly sped away before striking a guardrail and crashing near the Route 234 exit in Prince William County. The crash did not stop the vehicle, however, and it continued south on I-95.
More state troopers joined the chase and positioned themselves around the speeding Jeep in an attempt to bring it to a stop.
The Jeep then reportedly ran off the road near the Quantico exit and crashed into the woods. As state troopers approached the crashed Jeep, the driver began shooting at them, according to police. The officers returned fire.
The driver — a 34-year-old man from North Chesterfield — and the passenger — now identified as 34-year-year-old Tatiana David of Ithaca, N.Y., were injured as a result of the incident. Police said the man was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. David died at the scene.
The Office of the Medical Examiner in Manassas is yet to determine David’s cause of death. A firearm was recovered from the Jeep, according to police.
No police officers were injured in the shooting. The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation — per state police policy. A Fairfax County Police officer was also involved in the shooting.
VDOT reported that all I-95 southbound lanes were closed shortly after 10:15 p.m. as state police and Prince William County police conducted their investigation. Shortly before 6:15 a.m. on Friday, VDOT reported that one left lane had been reopened but delays could still be expected. Around 1:45 p.m., VDOT released a final update — announcing all lanes had been reopened and the scene had been cleared.
The incident remains under investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office. Authorities are coordinating with New York law enforcement in regard to the abduction investigation and charges are pending.
