A Georgia police deputy is dead following a car accident in which a vehicle heading the wrong way struck him head-on. The police officer was on duty at the time of the car accident. For many in the police force, this is a sobering reminder that the accidents with which they deal in the routine course of their work can easily happen to them.
The fatal crash happened at around 2 a.m. as the deputy was headed northbound on Interstate 95 in his police cruiser, along with his canine partner. At the same time, a 23-year-old woman was traveling the wrong direction in his lane and both vehicles were said to be going at highway speeds.
The police officer died at the scene of the accident. The other driver, a 23-year-old woman said to be studying at South University, was listed in critical condition after being airlifted to a regional hospital. The canine partner received minor injuries, but is otherwise in good condition.
At the moment, it was not known what the cause of the accident was beyond the preliminary indication of a wrong-way driver. An accident investigation team is reconstructing the collision to figure out who did what and when. It is not yet known whether either vehicle attempted to avoid each other before the crash, though the car lights of the wrong way driver were said to be on. Authorities indicated the results of blood-alcohol tests are pending.
The deputy leaves behind his wife and three young children, ages 6, 8 and 10. It will take time for police to determine whether negligence played a part in the deputy’s death. That information will be crucial if the deputy’s family decides to seek justice through civil court.
Source: Savannah Morning News, “Bryan County deputy loses life in wrong-way accident,” Jamie Parker, June 16, 2012