OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department is now investigating after an Oak Hill City Police Officer allegedly ran over a 24-year-old who had passed out in the street last Wednesday.
The victim, Kyle Slaughter, was airlifted to Charleston with significant injuries and is still in the critical care unit.
Slaughter was walking home from a friend’s house on April 15 early in the evening when witnesses say he passed out at the corner of Trump Avenue and Weaver Street in Oak Hill.
Andrea Davis, who happens to be one of his friends, says it happened right in front of her family’s home.
“After my father and my cousin was trying to help him up, and basically the officer that was supposed to come and help them was coming northbound on Trump Avenue, and Kyle was laying right here in road, and they were trying to guard him as much as possible, but the cop proceeded through the stop sign here and managed to run over my friend just right there,” she said.
Oak Hill Police Chief Mike Whisman confirmed it did happen but because the Oak Hill Police Department is involved, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the investigation.
“I can confirm that my department is working an accident involving an Oak Hill police officer,” Sheriff Mike Fridley said. “An individual, the victim, was hit. The victim is 24 years old. He’s from Oak Hill. He was transported to the hospital. The deputy sheriff did a canvas, took a statement from the officer for one, also, did a canvas of the area, talked to some neighbors that lived in that area to get statements from them to see if they’ve seen anything.”
Slaughter’s father, Larry, says his son’s injuries were substantial which is why he had to be airlifted to the Charleston Area Medical Center. He had broken ribs and a torn bladder among other injuries, but his dad says it could have been a lot worse.
“He’s doing better now, but when he was airlifted, from what I understand, he wasn’t doing very good,” Larry said. “I mean, from what I understand the cop car ran completely over him.”
It is still unclear what happened to Kyle Slaughter that made him pass, and this is an ongoing investigation.
Sheriff Fridley said that once the investigation is complete, he will release the full details. We have yet to receive confirmation on the name of the officer involved.
