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Staunton woman dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound after Interstate 81 traffic stop

policecar3A Staunton woman who was a suspect in a shooting reported early Tuesday is dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after a traffic stop on Interstate 81 in Botetourt County.

Willa C. Good, 56, of Staunton, was stopped for speeding by a Virginia State Police trooper at approximately 10:20 a.m. Tuesday near the 161 mile marker on I-81 in Botetourt County. The vehicle pulled over to the shoulder and as the trooper approached the vehicle, the driver displayed a firearm. For his safety, the trooper immediately took cover.

Despite state police’s attempts to make contact, Good was consistently unresponsive. Law enforcement then approached the vehicle, found Good unresponsive, and removed her from the vehicle. She was immediately taken to the ambulance on scene, where medics declared Good deceased. Good’s remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for examination and autopsy.

Preliminary examination indicates Good died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, but the Medical Examiner will make the final determination upon completion of the autopsy. A firearm was recovered from inside the vehicle.

Good was a suspect in a shooting death reported earlier in the day on Tuesday  The victim, Ralph E. Siron, 57, was treated at the scene and subsequently transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center.

The shooting in the 200 block of Stonewall Jackson Boulevard had been reported to Staunton Police at approximately 9:40 a.m.

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