SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State police say the death of a Bluefield police officer last week can be blamed on several factors.
The probe into the accident which claimed the life of Lt. Aaron Crook in the early morning hours of May 30 was a result of the fleeing vehicle, poor lighting, and location, according to the West Virginia State Police investigation.
“Upon arriving at the location where the fleeing vehicle stopped, Lt. Crook began to exit his patrol vehicle when his vehicle was struck by a responding Bluefield Police Department vehicle,” said West Virginia State Police Lt. Colonel D.L. Bowles in a released statement. “The impact resulted in Lt. Crook being ejected from his vehicle. Seconds later, the responding West Virginia State Police vehicle collided with the crashed vehicles.”
Crook, 32, and another Bluefield officer were responding to a pursuit involving another Bluefield officer and a DUI suspect. The suspect, later identified as Morgan Smith Walker, 27, of Princeton, had stopped on U.S. Route 19. Those familiar with the investigation indicated the location of the traffic stop happened just over the crest of a hill. The second Bluefield officer was unable to stop in time and collided with Crook’s vehicle. A state police cruiser encountered almost the same circumstances and struck the two crashed vehicles.
“The circumstances of the fleeing vehicle, location, and lighting were all contributing factors to the crash,” wrote Bowles in the statement.
The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported Bluefield Patrol Officer Mark Filer and State Police Trooper K.A. Filer, who are brothers, were both injured in the crash along with K-9 officer Joseph Danieley. They were treated and released for their injuries.
Crook was a nine-year veteran of the Bluefield Police Department. His funeral was held last weekend.
Mercer County Magistrate Charles Poe ruled Wednesday there was probable cause in the case of Walker.
He was charged with DUI causing death with reckless disregard.
Danieley testified, saying Walker was going 50 to 55 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone of Bluefield Avenue when he turned on his cruiser lights. The vehicle slowed to 40 miles per hour before stopping on Lee Street.
Poe sent the case to the Mercer County Grand Jury. Walker is being held at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver.