Richmond, Virginia: Driver Charged in East Main Street Hit and Run That Killed Harry Laverty, 75

Richmond police have arrested a driver after a hit and run on East Main Street that killed a 75-year-old man on Friday morning in Shockoe Bottom.

Officers were called to the intersection of East Main and 21st streets at about 10:17 a.m. on Friday for a report of a hit and run involving a pedestrian, the Richmond Police Department said in a release. Officers arrived and found an adult man down and unresponsive in the roadway of East Main Street. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police identified the man as Harry Laverty, 75, of Richmond. WWBT reported that police said the driver hit a man just after 10 a.m. while driving on East Main Street, and WTVR reported the crash happened near East Main and 21st streets at about 10:15 a.m. on Friday in Shockoe Bottom.

Driver left before officers arrived

The driver of the striking vehicle had left the scene before officers arrived, police said. The Richmond Police Department Crash Team responded to investigate. Crash Team investigators collected video from nearby businesses and used other investigative techniques to identify the vehicle and the driver, according to the release.

Investigators arrested John Mcsparren, 47, of North Chesterfield, and charged him with felony hit and run. Police said his booking photo was not yet available when the release was issued. The release gave no description of the vehicle, and police have not announced any additional charges in the case.

A felony charge is an accusation. Mcsparren has not been convicted, and the case will move through the courts in Richmond.

Police ask for more information

The department thanked the people who came forward with information about the collision and said their help assisted investigators. Police are still asking anyone with further information to contact the Crash Team.

Anyone with information can call RPD Crash Team Investigator T. Harrell at (804) 709-4057 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used, and police said all Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.

For drivers and people walking in Shockoe Bottom, the case is a plain one. A man crossed a main street on a Friday morning, a driver left the scene, and police built the identification from business video and tips from the public. What remains is the court case, and any further account of how the crash happened will have to come from investigators and the proceedings that follow.