Police have identified the suspected carjacker shot and killed by state police troopers Wednesday night after a chase on Interstate 95 in Prince William County.
The pursuit began about 10:15 p.m., when a Virginia State Police trooper spotted a vehicle wanted by U.S. Park Police for a carjacking.
The driver refused to stop and a chase began southbound near mile marker 158 near Prince William Parkway. Near the 155 mile marker just south of the Cardinal overpass, the suspect vehicle struck another trooper's cruiser, causing it to overturn. The trooper was not injured.
Around the 150 mile marker near Joplin Road, troopers were able to force the vehicle to come to a stop.
The driver, who was wearing a ski mask, "refused multiple state police commands," the release said. "The driver made multiple abrupt furtive movements with his hands, causing state troopers on scene to utilize their duty weapons."
The driver, identified as Andy Ernesto Espinoza Garay, 26, of Lanham, Md., was pronounced dead at the scene. Passenger Merlin Alexander Cruz-Perdomo, 21, of Lanham, Md., was flown by helicopter to Inova Fairfax Hospital and was in stable condition. State police charged him with grand larceny, the release said.
A third passenger, Jonathan Bonilla-Baires, 24, of Hyattsville, Md., was not injured and was also charged with grand larceny.
The four troopers nvolved in the officer-involved shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
At the conclusion of the investigation, all evidence and information will be turned over to the Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney for review.
The shooting closed all southbound lanes of I-95 overnight with a detour was in place from Route 234 following the pursuit. Lanes reopened about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
Witnesses along I-95 Wednesday night reported seeing the chase, and some had near misses with the fleeing driver.
"That car flew right past me when I was sitting in traffic for the construction going on!" one reader posted on InsideNoVa's Facebook page. "I was less then a mile away when they shut down 95S and had to get out on Joplin to get on Route 1."
"The person they were chasing was less than a foot from RAMMING into the back of me," another wrote. "I pulled over to the state trooper that spun out right in front of the Fredericksburg and Richmond sign. Literally like 40 officers were chasing whoever this was."
(2) comments
Play really stupid games and you get what you deserve. What a fool.
Actually the reverse. I'm sure the car jacket was a nice person who was given the car. I see Insidenova finally edited the correct name of the police dept where the care was taken from.
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