Chesterfield County Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: Thursday, May 27, 1999
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: 206
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: May 27, 1999
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Police Officer Craig Rath was killed when his vehicle was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Bellwood Road and Fort Darling Road.
Officer Rath was leaving a public park after conducting surveillance in an unmarked vehicle when he failed to stop at a stop sign. When he entered the intersection he was broadsided by another vehicle, ejecting him from his vehicle and causing it to flip.
Two officers who were following him rolled the vehicle off of him, but he had been killed on impact.
Officer Rath had served with the Chesterfield County Police Department for six years was assigned to the Street Drug Enforcement Section. He was a U.S. Army veteran with the 555th MP Company at Fort Lee, Virginia, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is survived by his wife, who was also an employee of the agency.