West Virginia State Trooper Killed in Car Crash

On Friday, November 02, 2007 at approximately 2324 hours, Trooper B. W. Linn of the Charles Town Detachment was responding to assist a fellow trooper involved in a foot pursuit of a subject at the Kearneysville, WV Sheetz Store on WV RT 9 in Jefferson County. Trooper B.W. Linn was traveling westbound on State Route 9 along with two other West Virginia State Troopers in separate cruisers. While en route to the foot pursuit, with engaged lights and siren, Trooper B.W. Linn lost control of his West Virginia State Police cruiser and began sliding sideways across the roadway, exiting the south roadway edge. The vehicle became air born, struck a utility pole, rolled an undetermined amount of times and came to rest in a field off the south roadway edge approximately one (1) mile west of Wiltshire Road. Trooper Linn had to be extricated from the vehicle and was air lifted via Medi-Vac to Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, Virginia. Trooper Linn was pronounced dead at 0035 hrs on November 03, 2007.

Trooper Linn is survived by his spouse Melissa and two (02) daughters: Madeline (age 2) and Paige (age 9). Trooper Linn’s body will be taken to Fairfax, Virginia for an autopsy on Monday, November 05, 2007.

Trooper B.W. Linn enlisted with the West Virginia State Police on September 26, 2005 and has been stationed at the Charles Town Detachment since graduation from the West Virginia State Police Academy. He was a member of the 55th Cadet Class of the West Virginia State Police.

This investigation is ongoing into the exact cause of this crash; therefore, no further information will be given at this time until this investigation is complete. Sergeant G.S. Petsko, accident reconstructionist, was called to the scene and is investigating this crash. The WVSP asks that the media honor this request.


Tpr. B. W. Linn

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