On Tuesday, July 7, at 3:56 p.m., the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the City of Roanoke Police Department that they were following a white Mercedes sedan driven by a male subject reported to be in possession of a firearm and threatening to harm himself. The vehicle entered Botetourt County on Route 11 (Lee Highway) in the Hollins and Cloverdale area of the county. The driver lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road striking a roadway sign coming to a stop on the embankment in the 3000 block of Read Mountain Road near the intersection with Downing Street.
A preliminary investigation has revealed that there were two occupants in the vehicle. The male driver exited the vehicle and discharged a firearm resulting in a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The male driver was declared deceased at the scene. No deputies fired their weapons, and no law enforcement officers, or bystanders were injured in the incident. The passenger of the vehicle did not sustain major injuries in the crash. Botetourt County Fire & EMS transported the passenger to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital as a precaution.
Both the driver and passenger had active warrants from the City of Roanoke, City of Lynchburg, and Roanoke County. Those charges involve felony forgery of checks, fraud, and a traffic offense.
As is standard practice, the Medical Examiner’s Office was notified, and the deceased was transported to the office in Roanoke for an autopsy.
The Botetourt Sheriff’s Office is not releasing the name of the deceased pending notification to the next of kin. This is an ongoing investigation and updates will be released as information becomes available.
