Byron police officers suspended after crashing patrol cars

Two Byron policemen are set to return to work Tuesday following a crash March 3 in which two patrol cars were damaged and traffic rules were broken, Police Chief Wesley Cannon said.

Officers William Younce and Steve Farmer were on duty driving in separate patrol cars along James Williams Industrial Drive about 1 a.m. when one of them tried to pass the other, Cannon told The Telegraph on Monday.

The result was a sideswipe crash that damaged both patrol cars. The extent of the damage was unclear.

Georgia State Patrol investigated, and though neither officer was cited, one was “found at fault of driving on the wrong side of the road,” Cannon said. “I do believe that their conduct was unbecoming.”

Both officers were suspended for five days and Younce was demoted to officer from corporal, Cannon said.

“I don’t believe my officers were racing, however I do believe that they were not following the rules of the road at all,” Cannon said. “We should hold ourselves to a higher standard. We’re the ones that enforce traffic laws. ... But police officers are human and they make mistakes, too.”

Public information officers with the Georgia State Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for the crash report.

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Byron police officers suspended after crashing patrol cars."