County employee remains hospitalized after encounter with suspected killer
A longtime employee of Fayette County remains hospitalized after she was a random victim in a string of violent acts, including five shooting deaths, allegedly committed Monday by a West Virginia man.
County Controller Sean Lally said Wednesday that he was “blown away” to hear what happened to Sidney Lee Bush, 58, a longtime employee at his office who was hit by a car driven by Shayne Franklin Riggleman of Morgantown.
“She’s a very good-hearted person. This is a pure example of being in the wrong place at the right time,” Lally said. “She is so lucky to be alive.”
State police in West Virginia said Riggleman shot and killed five people in a residence in Morgantown and later took his own life while fleeing authorities in Kentucky.
His suicide capped a string of violent acts that claimed the lives of a family of four in Morgantown as well as another Morgantown man living at their home.
It was also during that spree that Riggleman used a stolen Jeep Cherokee to strike a vehicle driven by Bush and force her from Route 857 in Fairchance and through a fence and into a yard.
Police said Bush was able to crawl about 50 yards toward Centerville Clinic and then got to her feet in an attempt to flag down a passing motorist for help when Riggleman, who had turned around following the accident, slammed the sport utility vehicle into her. She was knocked into the air and then into the exterior wall of the clinic.
Police said Bush suffered a fractured left knee, left ankle, left wrist and left elbow.
Lally said that Bush has had some surgeries, but said he believes she will still need additional operations to treat her injuries.
He said that as the details of Riggleman’s killings and assaults unfolded, he became increasingly shocked.
“It’s like stuff you see on TV came to Fayette County. We don’t usually have stuff like this go on,” Lally said. “My heart goes out to her and her family. She’s a really good human being. It boggles your mind that there are people that callous out there.”
Investigators said those shot and killed were: Charles A. Richardson III, 49; Karen Richardson, 50; Robert Raber Jr., 30; Krista Hudson, 22; and six months pregnant and Kevin Hudson, 17.
All five are from Morgantown and were found shot and killed inside the Richardson home at 100 Sugar Grove Road.
Raber lived at the home and was Krista Hudson’s boyfriend, officials said.
During his flight from police following the shootings and the incident involving Bush, Riggleman also stopped at a gas station in southern West Virginia and randomly shot an employee, Donnie Nichols of Roane County, in the neck.
Officials said Wednesday that Nichols remains hospitalized but is expected to recover.
Staff writer Jennifer Harr contributed to this report.