A Detroit police officer was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the city’s east side on Sunday. Officer Cameron Richardson, who had been with the department for just over a year, was driving home from work when he was struck by a white van that turned left onto Hoover Street in front of him. The van, which was traveling in the opposite direction of Richardson’s Jeep Wrangler, did not stop at the scene, leaving Richardson’s vehicle to roll over after the collision.
Witnesses told investigators that the van turned left onto Hoover Street directly in front of Richardson’s vehicle, which was traveling northbound on Hoover Street at Greiner Street. When officers arrived at the scene just after midnight, they found Richardson’s Jeep had rolled over in the crash, but the other vehicle had fled the scene.
Authorities were able to locate the white van a short distance away from the accident, and detained all occupants inside, including a 28-year-old man who has been identified as a person of interest. However, the driver has not yet been located.
“We know who the driver is,” Interim Chief Todd Bettison said. “We are asking the driver to turn themselves in.”
The Detroit Police Department has been working tirelessly to investigate the incident, executing search warrants and identifying individuals who were in the white van. The department’s top official described Richardson as a “good officer, a fine officer who served with distinction” and vowed to “wrap our arms totally around this family.”