AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. – Virginia State Police are investigating a crash that left an Augusta County Sheriff’s Deputy injured early Wednesday morning while conducting a traffic stop.
According to authorities, the incident occurred around 6:14 a.m. on Scenic Highway, just south of Moffett Branch Road. The deputy was outside their patrol vehicle when a southbound 2017 Ford Transit van slowed near the scene but reportedly failed to see the deputy, striking them with the vehicle’s passenger-side mirror.
Emergency crews responded immediately, and the deputy was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Thankfully, the deputy sustained only minor injuries and has since been released.
The driver of the van, identified as 80-year-old Richard Heishman of Edinburg, Virginia, was charged with reckless driving following the incident.
Virginia State Police continue to investigate the crash and remind all motorists to slow down and move over when approaching stopped emergency or law enforcement vehicles on the roadway — a law designed to protect first responders from preventable roadside injuries.