He was SLMPD Officer David Lee, a man who served the St. Louis community for almost 20 years. Police have a suspect in custody.
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis police officer died after he was hit by a car on I-70 in north St. Louis Sunday morning, a police spokesperson said. He was rushed to a St. Louis area hospital after being critically injured.
The officer was fighting for his life at St. Louis University Hospital when he passed. He was SLMPD Officer David Lee, a man who served the St. Louis community for almost 20 years. Police have a suspect in custody.
Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department announced an officer-in-need-of-aid call over police scanners around 8:45 a.m. at the eastbound lane of Interstate 70 near E Grand Avenue.
At the time the officer was hit, he was setting up a system to alert drivers that there was an active scene, an SLMPD spokesperson said.
Senior St. Louis police officials are at the hospital to support the injured officer, a man who’s been with SLMPD for 18 years.
The driver who hit the officer stayed on the scene. Police detained him while they investigated the scene.
The eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed Sunday morning after the crash.
5 On Your Side has learned about several crashes in the St. Louis area during what meteorologists called the heaviest rainfall of the day.
More information may be forthcoming further into the investigation. This story will be updated with the latest information as it becomes available.