A Highway Patrol trooper remained in critical condition yesterday at Mission Hospital after being struck by a car Tuesday afternoon during a traffic stop in Madison County. That accident occurred near the intersection of US 19 and Crooked Creek Road. 27 year old Trooper Matt Mitchell was struck from behind as he was standing beside a vehicle he had pulled over for displaying an expired tag. The woman who hit Mitchell has not been charged at this time as the investigation is continuing. The trooper was driving a marked patrol car with blue lights flashing. The accident occurred in a construction zone and visibility was good.  Trooper Mitchell is a Yancey County native who joined the patrol in 2008 after working for a little more than a year with the Mars Hill Police Department. He is married, with no children and lives with his wife in Madison County.