Authorities confirmed two people were killed in a helicopter crash Saturday near the violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
According to CBS News, the crash occurred in a wooded area about 7 miles southwest of the deadly protest site. Authorities said the incident was connected to the rally, but declined to elaborate. The FFA has also confirmed the aircraft was a Virginia State Police helicopter. The pilot, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates died at the scene. No one on the ground was injured.
Shortly after the helicopter went down, Donald Trump expressed his condolences via Twitter.
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The National Transportation Safety Board, FFA, and state police are investigating the crash. Authorities said there is no indication of foul play.
“Our state police and law enforcement family at-large are mourning this tragic outcome to an already challenging day,” Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, said. “Lieutenant Cullen was a highly respected professional aviator and Trooper-Pilot Bates was a welcome addition to the Aviation Unit, after a distinguished assignment as a special agent with our Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Their deaths are a tremendous loss to our agency and the Commonwealth.”
The helicopter crash occurred a couple of hours after a car plowed through a crowd of counter-protesters, leaving one dead and many others injured.
