Police were dispatched Friday at approximately 1120 am for a verbal domestic between a man and woman at a business in the 300 block of East Main Street, Mountville. There was an active Protection From Abuse Order (PFA) in place involving the two parties, and active arrest warrants for the man involved. 

The caller reported that after the verbal altercation, the man left in her vehicle with their two-year old child. According to the PFA order, the woman was to have custody of the child. Addition information obtained by the officers indicated the man was also possibly unstable.

Officers immediately began an extensive search for the man and the vehicle involved, released the information to surrounding agencies, and contacted state and other local police departments for assistance. At approximately 205 pm, the vehicle was located in a nearby jurisdiction, unoccupied. 

At about 342 pm, the child was reportedly brought back to the mother and officers responded to the home to check on the child’s condition. 

Shortly thereafter, at about 4 pm, officers received information that the man was in the area of Rt. 462 and Hempland Road. The officers responded to the area to attempt to serve the outstanding warrants, address the earlier incident of the verbal domestic and taking of a vehicle that was not registered to him, and determine the man’s mental condition. 

While in the area, officers were alerted to a man that had been running along business buildings in that area. As officers gained sight of the man, he was running close to the guiderail of Rt. 30 Eastbound, to the rear of a business in the 3700 block of Hempland Road. As officers entered the parking lot, the man jumped over the guiderail and ran into traffic. He was struck and killed by an eastbound vehicle. 

The reason the man was running in this area after returning the child is unclear. He was reported to be running on a business property prior to police seeing or approaching him. 

Pennsylvania State Police were contacted at the onset of this incident to conduct an Amber Alert evaluation, and State Troopers responded and assisted West Hempfield Officers search for the child. 

Lancaster County Accident Reconstruction Team is conducting the Traffic Crash investigation. 

Police closed Rt. 30 Eastbound in the area of 3700 Hempland Road for approximately 3 hours.  

At this time, we are not releasing the man’s name. 

The investigation continues. The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office is assisting West Hempfield Township police.