VSP trooper describes alleged DUI crash into his vehicle
JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia State Police trooper is thankful to be alive following a direct hit on his vehicle early Saturday morning on Interstate 64 by someone allegedly driving under the influence and driving the wrong way.
Trooper M. LeSage, a five-year veteran with Virginia State Police, was hit head-on in the eastbound lane of I-64 by 26-year-old Elijah Jones, who was heading west in that eastbound lane near the Fort Eustis exit and driving at about 70 mph.
“At the last second, I just steered to the right a little bit into the middle lane just so it was not a direct hit impact for both of us,” the trooper said. “I was trying to offset it. Pictures of my vehicle show the driver side front tire took the impact.”
LeSage suffered only a deep cut on his finger.
The wrong way driver, Jones, was not injured, charged with driving under the influence/maiming and open container.
“He was still seated in his vehicle,” LeSage said. “He asked if I was going the wrong way. I advised him no … that he struck me. He was kind of relaxed in his car. I confirmed he was OK, and I asked him to climb out of his car.”
LeSage also found out where Jones was heading at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
“He advised me he was at a club, stopped at home to change into comfortable clothes, and he was driving to Richmond to meet friends,” the trooper said.
LeSage was taken to hospital, where his wife picked him up.
“I was very vague when I called my wife,” LeSage said. “I told her I was in a crash [and] could she pick me up. I tried to leave the details out. I did not want her to be upset when she drove to the hospital to pick me up.”
He knew he was going to get hit, and he knew the driver was heading his way based on the police traffic he had heard, so he was on the lookout for the wrong-way driver.
“Within a few seconds, I located this suspect’s vehicle,” the trooper. “I knew I was going to have to strike him to stop him from hitting anybody else, so that is what I did. I positioned my car to strike his vehicle and, just at the last second, I was able to offset his vehicle just enough to lessen the impact for both of us.”
Front and side airbags deployed.
“Once that happened, I was able to free myself, cutting the airbag climbing out my passenger door,” LeSage said.
What was he thinking at the time?
“I saw it all coming,” LeSage said. “… I felt it. … It was a sudden jolt striking my car, and my thought process was not to go to my passenger side … to hit on my side. I felt the angle would flip my car over if he hit on the passenger side.”
He chose to have the driver strike his vehicle on the driver’s side, rather than the passenger side.
“Really, at the impact, I do not recall anything other than the jolt,” the trooper said, “and then I realized I survived, and I was just trying to free myself from my car. I didn’t know if it had caught fire. I just wanted to get out of my car.”
LeSage has previous experience with wrong-way drivers — twice before, but no collisions until this time.
“A few weeks ago, not a drunk driving case,” he said, “but an elderly woman, so it is always in the back of my mind this is what I have to do, I may have to do if someone’s coming at me. … The one prior to that was on 2-22-22, It was a Tuesday, and she was heavily intoxicated. Luckily, there was not a need to strike either of those other drivers.”
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