Pulaski County sergeant killed in early-morning crash
PULASKI COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Virginia State Police are investigating a crash in Pulaski County that killed a sheriff’s office sergeant.
Troopers responded to the crash on Route 11, north of Dublin, just after 4 a.m. Thursday.
State police said the driver of a Chevrolet 1500 pickup was going south on Route 11, crossed the center line and hit a Ford F150 truck head-on.
The driver of the Ford, 49-year-old Perry A. Hodge, of Dublin, died at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Hodge was a sergeant with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, most recently serving over the county’s school resource officers. He was an SRO at Riverlawn Elementary School, and was helping to incorporate EMS into active shooter plans for the school district.
The Pulaski County Public Schools district’s superintendent said in a statement to WDBJ7, “We have made additional counselors available for students and staff. Sergeant Hodge was an excellent school resource officer and his loss leaves a huge void in our schools and the Pulaski County community as a whole.”
A Facebook post made by the sheriff’s office said, “Sergeant Hodge was a very dedicated public servant with over 15 years of loyal service to the citizens of Pulaski County.”
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) said, “Sergeant Hodge served the people of Pulaski County for over fifteen years, most recently as a school resource officer. I join the people of Pulaski County in mourning the death of this committed public servant who dedicated his life to protecting them.”
The driver of the Chevrolet, 26-year-old Michael D. Morris, of Pulaski, was taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. He also was not wearing a seatbelt.
VSP said charges are pending.
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