LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Police say the man who was struck and killed by a vehicle on Friday in Lancaster County was involved in a missing child incident earlier that day.
On Friday morning, officers were called to a domestic fight between a man and a woman at a business on the 300 block of East Main Street in Mountville.
Police say there was a Protection From Abuse Order (PFA) in place involving both people and active arrest warrants for the man.
During the phone call, the woman reportedly told police that after the argument, the man, later identified as 27-year-old Brandon Smith, left in her vehicle with their 2-year-old child, of whom the woman has custody.
Police said they were also informed that Smith could be "unstable."
After launching an extensive search, police found the vehicle, empty in a nearby jurisdiction.
At around 3:42 p.m., police say the child was returned to their mother.
A short time after, officers were told that Smith was in the area of Route 462 and Hempland Road. They made their way to the area to serve the outstanding warrants and to talk with Smith about the earlier incident.
Officers were also trying to figure out what mental state Smith was in at the time.
Smith was then reported to be running along business buildings in that area. When officers found him, he was allegedly running close to the guardrail on Route 30 eastbound, behind a business on the 3700 block of Hempland Road.
Officers say that as they entered the business parking lot, Smith jumped over the guardrail and into the path of traffic. He was struck and killed by a vehicle traveling eastbound.
Police say they don't know why Smith was in that area after returning the child to their mother.
Rt. 30 eastbound was closed for approximately three hours while authorities investigated the incident.
The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office is helping the West Hempfield Township Police Department with the ongoing investigation.
