A murder, shooting, high speed car chase and eventual crash struck I-95 in Stafford, VA yesterday afternoon. The wreck led to all-day lane closures while UVa football fans traveled to Annapolis, MD for the Military Bowl Game against the Naval Academy. Many Wahoos never made it to the game however, and the busy interstate roadway was jammed for hours with travelers.
Around 11:30 am, Virginia State Police received an alert to search for a SUV potentially related to the fatal domestic violence-related shooting of a woman on Heron Drive. Authorities later reported that the suspected SUV driver, Gregory Lee, was wanted for killing his wife, Melissa Dee Lee, who was found by officials in her home with three gunshot wounds in her chest.
Once the vehicle was spotted by police, a state trooper attempted to pursue a traffic stop with the help of a Stafford County Sheriff’s Deputy. Instead of following law enforcement’s instructions, Lee pulled over, exited the vehicle, and began firing shots at the trooper and deputy. One shot penetrated the trooper’s windshield but just missed the official.
A car chase ensued between the SUV and trooper. Former UVa student Amy Vu was involved in the accident as several cars collided. WUVA News has reached out to Vu for a comment.
Lee continued to flee the trooper northbound, ultimately crashing and flipping over a guardrail at mile marker 142. This resulted in the closure of all northbound lanes and one southbound.
No law enforcement officials fired their weapons during the course of the incident and no other nearby drivers were seriously injured. Lee was observed to have self-inflicted gunshot wounds in his skull and was immediately transported to Inova Hospital in Fairfax to be treated for serious injuries. He died early this morning.
Thursday’s bizarre series of events has been cited as unprecedented for the region according to reports by local news stations in Stafford’s surrounding areas.
