Nassau County deputy dies after being hit by car while on foot chase

A 32-year-old Nassau County Sheriff’s deputy was killed Tuesday when he was hit by a car on Florida 200 in Yulee while chasing a man after U.S. Border Patrol was questioning six people in a pickup truck, according to a Florida Times-Union report.

Deputy Eric Oliver was a part of the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office for seven years. According to Sheriff Bill Leeper, Oliver had a wife and 6-year-old daughter.

“It’s very tragic, very sad, but we told (the family) that he died doing what he loved to do,” Leeper said in a press conference.

Between 7 and 7:30 a.m., border patrol agents stopped a pickup truck at a gas station when they called for backup, according to the Times-Union. One of the men being questioned ran across the highway when two deputies chased after him. The first deputy had safely crossed the highway, but Oliver was hit.

As law enforcement continue to search for the suspect, three nearby daycares were put on lockdown. Leeper said there is no reason to believe the man is dangerous.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is helping in the search and the Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the woman who hit Oliver.

According to Leeper, this is the sixth death in the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office since 1827.

“People don’t pay attention,” a teary-eyed witness told Action News Jax. “I’ve had some near-death experiences myself.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Nassau County deputy dies after being hit by car while on foot chase."