The search for a runaway juvenile along North Lee Highway earlier this month was assisted by a drone from a newly established regional drone program.
The incident occurred on Jan. 6, according to a press release from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office. Social workers were transporting a 14-year-old girl from West Virginia to a behavioral health facility in Newport News, pursuant to a court order. They made a brief stop at the 7-Eleven on North Lee Highway while traveling through Rockbridge County, during which the girl exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot.
Deputies with the RCSO were dispatched to the area and “initiated a coordinated search effort,” working with the Lexington Police Department, the Virginia Military Institute Police Department and the Rockbridge Regional Public Safety Communications Center to search the area. A drone equipped with thermal imaging was among the aerial resources deployed to assist in the search. The drone is part of the regional drone program administered by Rockbridge Regional Public Safety Communications Center, which “allows for the rapid deployment of aerial resources across jurisdictions” to assist in operations such as the search.
“This program gives our agencies the ability to quickly deploy aerial resources when time matters most, while doing so in a responsible manner,” Sheriff Tony McFaddin said in the release. “The drone program enhances officer safety, improves search capabilities and allows us to bring situations like this to a safe resolution more efficiently.”
The girl was located in a wooded area behind the Starbucks on North Lee Highway. Deputies attempted to make contact and she fled on foot again, but was apprehended shortly after without injury. Her welfare was assessed and she was returned to the custody of the social workers, who resumed transporting her to the Newport News facility.
“Our top priority in situations like this is always the safety and well-being of the juvenile,” McFaddin said. “I am proud of the professionalism and teamwork demonstrated by our deputies and our partner agencies to resolve this situation quickly and safely. This outcome reflects the value of strong inter-agency cooperation and the effective use of available resources.”
