Police Officer Severely Injured in Crash in Spalding County, Georgia (GA)

SPALDING COUNTY, GA- Ajc.com writes that a crash took place recently in Spalding County that left a police officer with severe injuries. The incident occurred when the officer, a 40-year-old man, was on duty. The Spalding County Deputy was close to the border with Polk County when a Ford Explorer spun from the opposite lane of traffic and into his lane. According to officers, the deputy tried to avoid the impact, and while he was unable to, his evasive actions likely prevented the collision from turning deadly.*

The Ford appears to have hydroplaned, which caused the wreck. 

Following the impact, the officer was severely injured and underwent spinal surgery. Doctors inserted a 4-inch screw into his spine. The recovery has been extremely difficult for the victim, who also sustained a broken leg. Doctors believe that the surgery was successful, though, and are hopeful that he will not require a second procedure. 

The officer is a father of five, and his wife was not initially able to visit him in the hospital because of concerns over the coronavirus. In an update on Facebook, his wife stated that her husband would be able to leave the facility and continue his recovery at home. The family has a GoFundMe page set up to help the family during the difficult recovery period.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) write that car crashes are the main cause of death for police officers who are on-duty throughout the United States. One study found that 37 percent of fatalities that occur in the line of duty is the result of a motor vehicle accident. Many of these deaths could be prevented. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

 https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/spalding-deputy-leaving-hospital-3-weeks-after-suffering-spinal-break-in-crash/ORRHZSE5EVEFPLNFL2M2NFXAP4/

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/leo/default.html