CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLERIGHTNOW) – Charlottesville Police Chief Mike Kochis took questions regarding the July 6, 2024, auto versus pedestrian crash that claimed a man’s life on Monday afternoon. It was his first update on the incident, which has left some asking why the woman who struck him hasn’t been arrested. 

Multiple claims have been made on social media about what happened when Edward Fitzhugh Anderson was struck and killed. But Chief Kochis says no one has come forward with information that contradicts eyewitness accounts, evidence found on the scene, or the video evidence collected so far. The weapon found at the scene was scissors. The best video to date came from a doorbell camera. Kochis says the investigation has been thorough. 

“The data recording of the driver’s vehicle has been downloaded and analyzed with the technical assistance of Virginia State Police,” he said. “Video footage of the incident has been recovered. The driver’s cell phone data has been downloaded and reviewed. The driver’s social media platforms have been reviewed. A weapon has been recovered from the scene where the initial incident occurred, and countless interviews have been recovered.” 

Kochis said that while he typically tries to avoid responding to social media comments, there are several things he needed to clear up.  

“The driver of the vehicle is not a police officer or an informant. The driver of the vehicle and Mr. Anderson have absolutely no connection. Nobody was in the passenger’s seat prior to or during this incident. Four, the driver’s vehicle never went in reverse. And five, the driver’s vehicle was never taken to a body shop.” 

Kochis was asked if the initial news release, which included the name of the victim and stated that he had attacked the driver who struck him, may have inflamed the situation within the community. 

“I think it’s a balance and it’s something that we continue to look at,” said Kochis. “I can tell that we have sat down, that I’ve read that post probably a hundred times. Could we have used different words or wording here and there? The idea was to explain to the public why there wasn’t an arrest on the scene, knowing that the person had stayed there at the scene. We had somebody who was deceased, so we were trying to put out that preliminary informatoin to explain that to the public, but also to say that this is an ongoing investigation. We always have room to get better, and we’ll continue to look at how we release information.” 

Anyone who has firsthand knowledge or video is urged to call in and report it. The department can be reached at (434) 970-3280. If someone wishes to remain anonymous, they can call CrimeStoppers at 977-4000.