A Culpeper police officer injured when a car hit his motorcycle during a funeral procession remains in critical but stable condition and has developed pneumonia, a police spokeswoman said yesterday.
Officer Roscoe Barnes has been in an induced coma with head and leg injuries at University of Virginia Medical Center since the Sunday afternoon accident. Police spokeswoman Bethany Sullivan said Barnes developed pneumonia Thursday as a result of lying on his back for a prolonged time.
Surgery scheduled for yesterday to set a broken bone in Barnes' leg was postponed because of the pneumonia and because each time the officer is moved the swelling in his brain intensifies, Sullivan said.
Sullivan said family members told police that doctors believe Barnes also suffered a broken wrist and broken ankle in the crash.
Barnes was thrown across the hood of a car that allegedly pulled into the path of his motorcycle. He landed on the asphalt on the Sperryville Pike near Kelly Street.
The procession was stopped at the time, and Barnes, who police say had his emergency lights on, was apparently moving into the right lane of traffic to get ahead of the mourners when the collision occurred.
No charges have been brought against the driver of the other vehicle. Police have identified him only as a legal resident of Culpeper who has both a valid driver's license and proper insurance.
"We're reviewing the facts and consulting with the Virginia State Police to see what charges, if any, will be placed," Culpeper County Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Close said yesterday.
Close added that his office, which has been presented with the preliminary findings of investigating Trooper Sonny Riddle, may wait for a state police accident reconstruction team to complete its work before deciding whether to take action.
Sullivan also said a special police charity fund has been established that will initially help Barnes through his ordeal and then be available for future tragedies.
"This is the first major accident an officer has been involved in during the 50 years this force has been in existence," said Sullivan. "We've been lucky. We haven't needed such a fund until now."
Anyone who would like to make a donation can drop it off at the police department or mail it to: Barnes Fund, c/o Culpeper Town Police Department, 130 West Cameron St., Culpeper, Va. 22701.
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