A still from dashcam footage taken by Fairfax Police moments before Trina Jones was allegedly killed (Fairfax County Police Department).
A police officer in Virginia is under investigation after he allegedly ran over a woman who had already been injured in a hit-and-run.
Authorities from the Fairfax County Police Department released dashcam video from the night of Sept. 23, when Officer Jalin Phillips allegedly struck hit-and-run victim Trina Jones, 62. According to police, Phillips was responding to the call that Jones had been hit by a black Mercedes while crossing an intersection in Hybla Valley, Virginia. Washington, D.C.-based NBC affiliate WRC reported that Jones was still conscious as officers arrived to help her.
When Phillips arrived, he allegedly ran over Jones a second, fatal time, blurting out, "Please do not tell me I just ran her over."
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
In dashcam footage released by police on Thursday, Jones' form is blurred out as Phillips' vehicle approaches her. In the video, which was posted to the police department's YouTube page, the vehicle seemingly slows down as it arrives at the scene but still fails to stop short of Jones, whose form disappears from the frame.
WRC reported that witnesses at the scene told Jones to get out of the road after the initial impact with the Mercedes. Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a press conference that Jones was still conscious, but told onlookers that she wanted to wait for police to arrive before she moved. Another driver drove his car to form a barrier near where she lay so she would not be hit again by oncoming traffic.
That driver can be seen on camera driving away as Phillips' police vehicle approached.
Davis said that Phillips was driving "between 14 miles per hour and 17 miles per hour," adding, "There was no indication that his driving was egregious."
In the YouTube video, police stated that Fairfax Fire and Rescue were on the scene after Phillips' car made impact with Jones. Despite lifesaving measures from first responders, Jones was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.
During his press conference, Davis stated that the alleged incident was "traumatic" for Phillips, a two-year veteran of the police department. Davis said, "I don't want to compare and contrast what the Jones family is going through, because that is certainly something that is devastating to the family. But what the young police officer goes through, it's equally challenging and traumatic to him as well."
Police stated that they have located the Mercedes that was allegedly involved in the initial hit-and-run. They have not yet located the driver.
Phillips was placed on restrictive-duty status while police investigate the incident. He has not been charged with any crime.
