Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Eluding State Police, Crashing Into Trooper’s Patrol Car
NORFOLK, Va. — Donnie Ray Lewis Jr., 38, was sentenced on Friday to serve two years in prison for felony hit and run, felony eluding police, and violating his probation after he pleaded guilty to speeding away from a traffic stop earlier this year and crashing into a Virginia State Police trooper’s vehicle in the process.
On Feb. 6, a state trooper on Interstate 64 initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle he saw being driven too slowly and swerving into various lanes of traffic. The driver, Mr. Lewis, pulled over and got out of the vehicle, telling the trooper that he was driving slowly because his tire was flat. However, before the trooper was finished with his investigation, Mr. Lewis got back into the car and began to speed away. The trooper pursued Mr. Lewis, who reached speeds up to 99 miles per hour, eventually exited the highway, and ran several stop signs. Mr. Lewis crashed into a different state trooper’s vehicle and continued to elude police until he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail. Mr. Lewis continued to flee on foot until the troopers caught and detained him.
On June 11, Mr. Lewis agreed to plead guilty to felony hit and run and felony eluding, pay restitution to the Virginia State Police, and be sentenced to a maximum active term of two years in prison. Mr. Lewis also pleaded guilty to five violations of his probation from prior offenses. Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise accepted Mr. Lewis’ plea, and on Friday Judge LeCruise sentenced Mr. Lewis per the plea agreement to serve two years in prison with another eight years suspended on the conditions that Mr. Lewis complete three years of uniform good behavior and supervised probation.
“My first thoughts go to the Virginia State Troopers. I thank them for their work and am glad they were not hurt when Mr. Lewis crashed into one of their cars,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Second, Mr. Lewis is now going back to prison after committing a dangerous crime. Had he just stopped and talked to the troopers, things would have gone much better for him. When an officer orders someone to stop, they must stop, or they will face the consequences.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney James S. Strickland prosecuted Mr. Lewis’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Virginia State Trooper Kyle Rose led the investigation.
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