On-duty officer hits and kills man before swerving into tree, Georgia troopers say
A Georgia officer is recovering after a crash that killed a pedestrian early Sunday morning, Gwinnett County police and state troopers say.
It happened around 3:30 a.m. on April 9 as an officer with the West Precinct approached the intersection of Brook Hollow Parkway and Mitchell Road in Norcross, police said in a news release.
The officer, who was driving his patrol car, hit a man walking in the street, troopers said. He tried swerving to avoid the man, but couldn’t avoid a collision.
The sharp turn sent his cruiser up an embankment where it hit a tree, then a fence, according to preliminary report. The officer suffered minor injuries.
Investigators said he tried to render aid after the crash, but the man died from his injuries.
Authorities identified the victim as 48-year-old Ramon Perez of Lawrenceville.
The crash remains under investigation.
Norcross is about 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.