ORIGINAL, 8:15 A.M.:
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. (WBOY) — One man is dead and another is in jail on several criminal charges after a series of crashes that West Virginia State Police said also led to a woman being attacked with a hammer and the theft of a police cruiser.
It started after a single-vehicle accident on Route 41 on Sunday just after 6:30 p.m. according to a state police press release.
Troopers said the driver of that vehicle, identified later as 24-year-old Dustin Young, overpowered another driver who had stopped at the crash and stole their vehicle.
Young drove to a residence in the stolen vehicle and attacked a woman with a hammer, troopers said. That woman was taken to a hospital with what troopers say were life-threatening injuries.
Troopers said Young continued toward Summersville in the stolen vehicle and struck another vehicle. The collision caused the death of the man driving the other vehicle, according to troopers.
When an officer with the Summersville City Police Department arrived at the scene of the deadly crash and was rendering aid to the victim, who was trapped in the vehicle, troopers say Young stole the officer’s cruiser and drove to Craigsville.
Deputies with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office helped bring the stolen cruiser to a stop, troopers said, and Young was taken into custody by a Senior Trooper “without incident.”
The West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website shows that Young was being held in the Central Regional Jail as of Monday morning on charges of DUI causing death with reckless disregard, attempted murder, assault during the commission of a felony, burglary, fleeing with reckless disregard and grand larceny.
The West Virginia State Police said the incident is still under investigation.
UPDATE, 12:26 P.M.:
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. (WBOY) — The man who was killed in the crash has been identified as Brody Hanna, a firefighter from Nettie, Nicholas County, according to the criminal complaint against Young, which was obtained why 12 News’ affiliate, WOWK.
