Funeral held for officer killed while pursuing suspect on I-79

None — MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Funeral services were held on Friday for a Monongalia County Sheriff's deputy who was killed early Saturday morning during a police pursuit of a man accused in a hit-and-run crash.

Photos: Images From the Scene

According to police, the officer killed was identified as Michael Todd May, 41, of Morgantown, W.Va.

West Virginia State Police said they were investigating a hit-and-run crash along Easton Hill Road just before 1 a.m., where Jerod Green, 35, was accused of hitting another vehicle.

Authorities said officers located Green’s truck traveling on Route 100 and they conducted a traffic stop.

Police said Green appeared to be intoxicated and refused to get out of his truck. Green then drove away from the scene, officials said.

“Mr. Green appeared to be intoxicated and fled from the traffic stop," said Cpl. Steven Dowlin.

Officers pursued him onto Route 19 and then onto Interstate 79, police said.

According to police, Green’s truck then hit May’s car while driving in the southbound lane near Perry Township, and he was eventually taken into custody.

May was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

“All he had to do was stop when he was first stopped and not take off again,” Monongalia County Sherrif Kenneth Kisner said. “All of this would have been avoided and that, to me, is somebody who didn’t care about what they were doing.”

Green was taken for a blood test to determine his blood-alcohol content. The results have not been released.

According to the criminal complaint, Green admitted to drinking alcohol and taking drugs before the crash.

“I didn’t mean to hurt anybody,” Green said as Pennsylvania State Police walked him into court Saturday afternoon.

Green is charged with criminal homicide, DUI, fleeing and eluding and several other crimes.

May was a 10-year veteran of the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department.

“As professional as he was, he was so funny and easy to get along with,” Kisner said. “He had that kind of personality.”

WPXI