Kyle Travis Snow appears in a mugshot after being arrested for numerous crimes stemming from a bizarre highway standoff in Virginia (New River Valley Regional Jail)
One man is dead and another man is in custody in southwestern Virginia after an armed standoff on the highway late last week, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
Kyle Travis Snow, 37, stands accused of a litany of crimes after the incident that left traffic stalled on U.S. Highway 52 for over six hours last Friday. The defendant’s charges include one count each of murder in the second degree, shooting from a vehicle, brandishing a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, possession of a firearm while in possession of a schedule II controlled substance, attempted carjacking, assault and battery, and two counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies received “multiple reports” about a man brandishing a gun on the highway near Little Bear Trail in the Cana section – a census-designated place – of Carroll County.
Officers with the Virginia State Police and CCSO deputies arrived just after 1:00 p.m., a press release says, and attempted to make an arrest – but were allegedly confronted by the armed defendant.
“Snow was confrontational and refused to comply with the commands of law enforcement,” the CCSO said. “Officers immediately started establishing a perimeter and re-routing traffic to ensure public safety.”
Details are scarce about what happened next but the standoff was diffused in somewhat short order, with the sheriff’s office describing the stalemate as “brief.” Snow was taken into custody after that.
“After officers were able to secure Mr. Snow, a deceased male was located inside of Mr. Snow’s vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said.
The deceased man was identified by law enforcement as Kevin Dwayne Barker, 44, who hails from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The sheriff’s office released his name after notifying relatives.
Barker’s cause of death, however, has not been made public.
The ensuing investigation into the crime scene shut traffic down for several hours but lanes were eventually reopened, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office described the incident as “isolated” but the investigation into the death and standoff is said to be ongoing.
Snow, who records show is married, is currently being detained in the New River Valley Regional Jail without bond after being processed there on Saturday. There is currently no court date set in his case.
According to The Mount Airy News, several witnesses on the highway crowdsourced additional details via social media.
In one reported Facebook post, Snow’s vehicle was seen straddling both a northbound and one southbound lane. In another reported post, the defendant allegedly pointed a gun at a woman’s husband and threatened to shoot him, causing the husband to run for safety and warn other drivers. In yet another reported post, Snow allegedly had blood on his arm, though the source of that stain was unclear.
According to Carroll County Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp, the task force of agencies responding to the incident included the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Carroll County Emergency Medical Services, Twin County 911, Surry County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
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