MECKLENBURG COUNTY, Va. — A tragic and unsettling incident along Interstate 85 has sparked a statewide manhunt as Virginia State Police search for 19-year-old Jason Allen Glidewell II, of Bracey, Virginia, who is wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Hunter A. Bates on Thursday afternoon.
Glidewell is described as a white male, standing about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. Authorities have issued arrest warrants charging him with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
According to police, troopers were dispatched around 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2025, to reports of a vehicle incident near the five-mile marker on northbound I-85. When first responders arrived, they found a Honda Civic that had veered off the right side of the roadway and crashed into a culvert.
Inside the vehicle, the driver — identified as Bates — was discovered with fatal injuries. Authorities confirmed that he died at the scene. A female passenger traveling with him was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. She was later released with no major injuries reported.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Bates was shot before his car left the highway and crashed. Police believe Glidewell is directly connected to the shooting.
Glidewell was last seen driving a silver 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche with Virginia license plate TFN 1004. State Police say he may have ties to the Richmond and Henrico County areas. Officials are urging residents across Virginia to remain vigilant and immediately report any sightings of Glidewell or the vehicle.
Law enforcement has emphasized that Glidewell should be considered armed and dangerous. Members of the public are strongly advised not to approach him but instead contact police immediately if spotted.
Anyone with information about Glidewell’s whereabouts or details related to the incident is asked to contact Virginia State Police Division III Dispatch at 1-800-552-0962 or Division I Dispatch at (804) 750-8758.
The incident has shaken the Mecklenburg County community and raised concerns for motorists traveling the busy interstate. Police continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the shooting as they intensify their search for Glidewell.
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