2 state troopers die in helicopter wreck – The Daily Progress

Updated at 11:10 p.m.

Two state troopers were killed Saturday afternoon when a helicopter crashed into a wooded area near Birdwood Golf Course in Albemarle County.

The pilot, Lt. H. Jay Cullen, 48, of Midlothian, and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates, of Quinton, died at the scene. No one on the ground was injured, according to police.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Bell 407 helicopter they were piloting was being used to assist public safety efforts for Saturdays Unite the Right rally, which found thousands of alt-right demonstrators and counter-protesters clashing on Market Street and around the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. State, city police and Albemarle County police, as well as the National Guard, monitored the protests.

Neighbors in the Old Farm Road area flocked near the crash site in its immediate aftermath, with many saying they had heard the helicopter hovering close to nearby homes before pulling into the wooded area. State police joined county police and fire units who were the first responders to the scene.

Authorities have said there is no indication that foul play was a factor in the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are now involved in the investigation.

Our state police and law enforcement family at-large are mourning this tragic outcome to an already challenging day, said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the state police. Lt. Cullen was a highly respected professional aviator and Trooper-Pilot Bates was a welcome addition to the Aviation Unit, after a distinguished assignment as a special agent with our Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Their deaths are a tremendous loss to our agency and the commonwealth.

Cullen graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy in 1994 as a member of the 90th Basic Session, and joined the Virginia State Police Aviation Unit in 1999. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Bates graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy in 2004 as a member of the 107th Basic Session. He had just transferred to the Aviation Unit as a trooper-pilot in July, and would have turned 41 on Sunday.

One person was killed and 19 were injured when a car plowed into a crowd on a Downtown Mall cross-street.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe and first lady Dorothy McAuliffe released the following statement on the trooper deaths:

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jay and Berke, both of whom were our close friends and trusted members of our team. Jay has flown us across the commonwealth for more than three and a half years. Berke was devoted to our entire family as part of our Executive Protective Unit team for the past three years.

This is a devastating loss for their families, the Virginia State Police and the entire commonwealth. Our hearts go out to their wives and children, and we stand by to support them during this difficult time. These heroes were a part of our family and we are simply heartbroken.

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2 state troopers die in helicopter wreck - The Daily Progress