Duty Death: Christopher Driver - [Rocky Mount]
End of Service: 23/06/2018
By Police1 Staff
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — A North Carolina police officer was killed in a crash while on duty.
Authorities said Rocky Mount Officer Christopher Driver, 27, was killed Saturday after his patrol vehicle collided with a “bucket truck” that was traveling in the same southbound direction he was, WITN reported. Driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, police announced that they arrested Derrick Sheffield, 46, and Timmy Dixon, 38, in connection to the fatal crash, according to WRAL. A witness told WRAL that the bucket truck was left unattended, blocking a lane of the street the officer was driving in, with its emergency flashers on when the crash happened.
Troopers said the driver of the truck left the vehicle on the roadway to get help after the truck’s brakes seized. Driver didn’t see the truck until it was too late, authorities said.
Sheffield was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and leaving a vehicle unattended/unsecure. Dixon was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident. They both posted bond and were released from jail.
Driver was hired by the Rocky Mount Police Department in 2013. In August 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Senior Police Officer.
“The Rocky Mount Police Department is truly saddened by the loss of Officer Driver,” the department said in a written statement. “Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We ask everyone to please respect the privacy of Officer Driver’s family during this time of bereavement.”