A chaotic early morning incident in Onondaga County left one woman dead and an erratic driver fatally shot by a state trooper after a series of violent crashes and assaults in a residential area.
New York State Police said the incident unfolded around 1:30 a.m. Sunday on Shute Road in the town of LaFayette, after a 911 caller reported a vehicle speeding through yards in a neighborhood.
According to investigators, the driver struck a woman in the roadway, killing her. Authorities said the situation escalated as a nearby resident attempted to intervene by using his own vehicle to stop the driver, but his efforts were unsuccessful and his vehicle was heavily damaged.
When a state trooper arrived on scene, police said the driver ran over the woman again as she lay in the road and also struck a second man who had been attempting to help.
State Police said the trooper issued verbal commands for the driver to stop before firing his weapon, fatally striking her. The driver was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The woman who was struck multiple times was pronounced dead at the scene. Both men who attempted to intervene were transported to a hospital and are expected to recover.
The trooper involved has been placed on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure following a police-involved shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.
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