Loudoun deputy cruiser hit by drunk driver while conducting unrelated DUI stop

A Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office deputy cruiser was struck by a drunk driver in Ashburn, Virginia, while the deputy was conducting an unrelated traffic stop for a suspected DUI, authorities said.

The deputy that was hit was in his car was stopped in the area of Route 7 East, at the ramp to 28 South, when the crash happened at around 2 a.m. He was with other deputies as they were conducting an investigation into a suspected drunk driver they had pulled over about 40 minutes earlier.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said Christian A. Freeman, 24, of Herndon, crashed his vehicle into the deputy’s cruiser, with the deputy inside.

The crash caused significant damage to the cruiser, but neither the deputy nor the driver were injured in the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.

Freeman was charged with a Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving, and was taken to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, where he is being held pending a bond review.

Steven A. Hall, 31, of Ashburn, was the subject of the original earlier traffic stop for suspected drunk driving. The sheriff’s office says he was also charged with Driving While Intoxicated, and was also taken to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. He is being held on a $2,500 bond.

“This incident highlights the dangers our deputies face every day,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “This could have ended tragically, and we are thankful that both the deputy and the driver were not injured.”