KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — A man died after allegedly running toward a Kanawha County ambulance with a knife and then falling off the hood, according to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened about 2:17 a.m. in the 500 block of Railroad Avenue, WOWK reported.
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Two Kanawha County EMS providers reported seeing a suspicious person near their station in Elkview, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities later identified the man as John Curtis Lucas.
Officials said Lucas was initially believed to be wearing a robe, but deputies later determined it was a trench coat. The sheriff’s office said he was seen prowling around the area and was believed to be holding a knife. Fearing for their safety, the EMS providers left the scene.
The EMS crew was driving along Railroad Avenue when Lucas allegedly ran from beside a building and jumped in front of the ambulance, landing on the hood while still believed to be armed, the sheriff’s office said.
The EMS crew kept driving, and Lucas later fell from the vehicle, authorities said. The crew then called 911.
Deputies responded and found Lucas lying along U.S. Route 119. He was unresponsive and had a severed arm, according to the sheriff’s office. Lucas was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The incident remains under investigation by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
