Trooper critically hurt when car collides with patrol cruiser; driver charged

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police have charged a man accused of hitting a state highway patrol trooper while he was attempting to survey the site of a deadly crash last weekend.

It happened around 8:30 a.m. Saturday on the outer loop of I-485 at West W.T. Harris Boulevard.

Officials said Trooper Adolfo A. Lopez-Alcedo was getting ready to resurvey the scene from a fatal crash the night before and was beginning to shut the roadway down.

Lopez-Alcedo had parked his car in the middle of the interstate to block two lanes at once and authorities said as two cars were coming down I-485, one went right of the cruiser and the other went left, hitting the trooper’s patrol cruiser.

The patrol car then hit the trooper.

Lopez-Alcedo was taken to Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center, where he is in critical condition. Officials said he suffered a serious brain injury.

“Our Patrol family is hurting with the devastating news of Trooper Lopez’s injury, his family needs our prayers for what is undoubtedly an uphill fight,” said Colonel Glenn M. McNeill, Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol. “We will stand alongside our brother and his precious family in the hours and days to come and maintain hope that there will be a full recovery for this devoted public servant.”

Authorities said the driver of the car, Troy Douglas Edmiston, was charged with felony failure to move over upon approach of a law enforcement officer.

The trooper was in the area to investigate Friday night’s crash on the inner loop of I-485 where five people were killed and at least three others were hurt.

In that crash, officials said a car was driving at an “extremely high rate of speed” and hit a box truck from behind, causing both vehicles to lose control.

The box truck hit cable barriers in the median, entered the inner loop lanes and went into oncoming traffic -- hitting an SUV and another car.

The I-485 Outer Loop was shut down at West W.T. Harris Boulevard while crews continued to investigate the scene.

A GoFundMe has been started to help Lopez-Alcedo’s family with medical expenses.

In less than two weeks, troopers plan to launch an enforcement team to crack down on speeding and reckless drivers on I-485.

The team will be made up of five troopers and they will only focus on enforcement on I-485.

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with wsoctv.com for more information.

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