Police investigation underway after mail carrier killed in Greene County
Postal carrier Chad Varner could not fit one of his deliveries into the mailbox along his rural Greene County route Monday afternoon and decided instead to walk it to the front door of the Morris Township home.
As Varner was walking through the yard, a vehicle left Andrews Road, traveled through hedges in front of the house and struck the mail carrier, according to Greene County Regional Police Capt. William DeForte.
“Mr. Varner was not in any place where he should have been hit by a vehicle,” DeForte said, adding he believes Varner did see the vehicle from his location in the yard.
The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. Monday at 180 Andrews, and Varner, 49, of Spraggs, was declared dead at 4:05 p.m., according to the Greene County coroner’s office.
“He couldn’t get a children’s book in the mailbox,” DeForte said. “He was struck in the middle of the yard. Her car went right through the hedgerow.”
Greene County Regional Police Chief Zachary Sams declined to release the name of the driver, describing her only as a female in her 40s. The department declined to release any additional details while the investigation is ongoing.
According to Sams, the driver is cooperating with their investigation. He said it is possible she had a medical episode.
“We just have to verify the medical conditions. We’re going to continue our investigation and hopefully come up with some idea of what happened,” Sams said.
DeForte said police are considering it a criminal investigation, and have involved the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and state police accident reconstruction unit.
“This isn’t the average vehicle versus pedestrian because it didn’t happen in the roadway. What makes this highly unusual is that it happened in the front yard, well away from the road itself,” DeForte said.
DeForte called the incident “shocking,” and said Varner’s decision to take the package to the door was typical for him.
According to DeForte, Varner was well known in the community. DeForte met Varner just a couple of times while he was on his route, but said that he was “always very gregarious and friendly.”
“I don’t say this lightly: His reputation really preceded him,” DeForte said. “Everybody thought he was a very good man.”
Staff writer Steve Barrett contributed to this report.