This is A Page Made in Loving Memory of Guy Thomas

A family in Ironton is trying to cope tonight with the loss one of their relatives. They say he died when a police cruiser hit him as he walked across the street.The victim was Guy Thomas. He was 46 years old. The navy veteran was leaving the American Legion Saturday night when he got hit by the police car and dragged from 9th street to 7th street.Right now, the Ohio Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case, but there are more questions than answers for family members of the victim."We can't even grieve for him, because we want his rights. He respected everybody, and he should be treated with dignity and respect."LouVerne Miller says her nephew, Guy Thomas, was one block away from home when he was hit by a police officer driving to work."And why hasn't anyone told the family,” said Miller. “Why haven't we gotten a chance to go ID him? Usually, if there is a murder or anything, they want someone to ID a body."Ironton police have not publicly identified the body, and the family says they have not heard from police."Even if it was an accident, tell the truth,” said Miller. “Just let us know what happened. I can't understand the suspense. All we want to know is what happened to him."Leaving the family with questions, and picking up the pieces.According to police, he was hit on 9th Street and Jefferson. His family found his wallet and a shoe on 7th Street and Washington, and police say he wasn't discovered until the officer reached the station on South 3rd Street."We had an Ironton Police officer in an Ironton cruiser, involved in a pedestrian fatality accident,” said Jim Carey, Ironton Police Chief. “It appears to just be an accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian."Leaving others concerned about what exactly happened…"They haven't even come to talk to the family,” said John Sudderth, one of the victim’s family members. “What does that tell you? They haven't even come to the family. Are they trying to hide something? Come on forward and let the family know exactly what happened here."A family…searching for answers and closure.According to Google maps, the quickest distance from where Thomas was hit, to the police station, is just over half a mile. The Lawrence County, OH Coroner says preliminary autopsy results are inconclusive on the cause of death of an Ironton man.46-year old Guy Thomas was found dead underneath an Ironton, OH police cruiser Saturday night. The autopsy was performed in Columbus, Oh on Tuesday.Burton Payne told wasz.com that those results show there were no injuries consistent with an impact by the cruiser or by getting run over by a tire.Payne also says there were burns on the body from the cruiser exhaust, and abrasions from the body being dragged.The coroner says Mr. Thomas’ family told him the victim had a history of seizures.Payne says results still are inconclusive to determine if Mr. Thomas was dead or alive when he came in contact with the cruiser.He says there is some evidence that the burns on Mr. Thomas’ body happened after he was dead.Payne says lab results and blood tests regarding any possibility of any intoxicants in Mr. Thomas’ body are still pending.Also released today, a report from the Ohio Highway Patrol on their inspection of the police cruiser immediately following the accident.Trooper John Canter wrote in that report that after he and other officers inspected the Ironton police cruiser they found “no visible damage to it. This included the front, both sides and rear. We found the dirt on the sides and rear of the vehicle didn’t appear to be disturbed. It was also found that the snow, ice and dirt on the front of the cruiser was not disturbed.”During the inspection, officers also found “a small blue fiber attached to the underside of the push bumper, attached to the front bumper.” They said the fiber was on the right side of that push bumper.Canter ended the report by saying that after he and other investigators discussed the lack of damage, they concurred the “pedestrian must have been down on the roadway and not standing or in a kneeling position when struck.” IRONTON,Ohio (WSAZ) -- A report in the Ironton newspaper says Guy Thomas likely died of asphyxiation.Prosecutor J.B. Collier also told the paper that Thomas’s chest with crushed. Collier says a BCI investigator theorized that could have happened when the police cruiser pulled into the parking lot.Lawrence County Prosecutor says he will turn the matter over to a grand jury that will determine what, if any charges will be filed against the driver of the cruiser, Patrolman Richard Fouts.Fouts is on paid administrative leave.