Cop wrecks suspect's 350Z
08-02-2006 | 04:58 PM
#1
Cop wrecks suspect's 350Z (update on page 4)
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_art...?storyid=82814
Reported By: Jerry Carnes
Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 8/2/2006 7:52:06 PM
A police officer is recovering after he was involved in a bad accident on Tuesday in Grantville.
Witnesses say the officer was driving 100 mph when he crashed on Interstate 85. On top of that, the on-duty officer was driving the sports car of a man just arrested.
Officer Jesse Hudgins is recovering in stable condition at Atlanta Medical Center after suffering a broken collarbone, a broken ankle and bruised lungs.
Hudgins has only been with the Grantville Police Department a month, and already he is injured and in hot water.
Grantville looks like Norman Rockwell’s vision of the easy life – typically, controversy takes a detour long before reaching the city limits.
A mangled Nissan has the people of Grantville crashing from one question into another.
“What was he thinking? That’s all that I can say,” said Grantville resident James Berry.
The kind of thing that has the police chief asking questions about one of his own.
“Right now, we’re unclear as to what the decision-making process was,” said Police Chief Franklin Allen.
On Sunday night, a Grantville police officer stopped a car along I-85, and arrested the man behind the wheel for driving on a suspended license.
According to the police report, the suspect said he could call a relative to come remove the car from the intestate. But Officer Hudgins decided to move the silver Nissan 350Z himself.
Witnesses say they saw the officer driving the car in excess of 100 mph, until he moved into the emergency lane, lost control, and crashed into the woods.
It was common practice for Grantville Police to remove vehicles from the interstate themselves, until Chief Allen arrived and made a strict policy against it.
“Under no circumstances was an officer to remove a vehicle himself,” Allen said. “Unless it was an extreme emergency situation.”
“Was it in this case?” asked 11Alive’s Jerry Carnes.
“In my opinion, it was not at this point,” Allen replied.
Now, one of his officers is lucky to be alive, facing potential charges like reckless driving, and a town known for it’s laid-back way of life is getting the type of attention that they don’t want.
Investigators with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Department want to speak to Hudgins as soon as he leaves the hospital.
Web Editor: Michael King
Last Modified: 8/2/2006 7:52:06 PM
A police officer is recovering after he was involved in a bad accident on Tuesday in Grantville.
Witnesses say the officer was driving 100 mph when he crashed on Interstate 85. On top of that, the on-duty officer was driving the sports car of a man just arrested.
Officer Jesse Hudgins is recovering in stable condition at Atlanta Medical Center after suffering a broken collarbone, a broken ankle and bruised lungs.
Hudgins has only been with the Grantville Police Department a month, and already he is injured and in hot water.
Grantville looks like Norman Rockwell’s vision of the easy life – typically, controversy takes a detour long before reaching the city limits.
A mangled Nissan has the people of Grantville crashing from one question into another.
“What was he thinking? That’s all that I can say,” said Grantville resident James Berry.
The kind of thing that has the police chief asking questions about one of his own.
“Right now, we’re unclear as to what the decision-making process was,” said Police Chief Franklin Allen.
On Sunday night, a Grantville police officer stopped a car along I-85, and arrested the man behind the wheel for driving on a suspended license.
According to the police report, the suspect said he could call a relative to come remove the car from the intestate. But Officer Hudgins decided to move the silver Nissan 350Z himself.
Witnesses say they saw the officer driving the car in excess of 100 mph, until he moved into the emergency lane, lost control, and crashed into the woods.
It was common practice for Grantville Police to remove vehicles from the interstate themselves, until Chief Allen arrived and made a strict policy against it.
“Under no circumstances was an officer to remove a vehicle himself,” Allen said. “Unless it was an extreme emergency situation.”
“Was it in this case?” asked 11Alive’s Jerry Carnes.
“In my opinion, it was not at this point,” Allen replied.
Now, one of his officers is lucky to be alive, facing potential charges like reckless driving, and a town known for it’s laid-back way of life is getting the type of attention that they don’t want.
Investigators with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Department want to speak to Hudgins as soon as he leaves the hospital.
Last edited by tonio; 08-03-2006 at 10:57 AM.
08-02-2006 | 05:33 PM
#7
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Texas
It's too bad that a poor decision of one officer has to taint the image for the rest of us. I'd venture to guess that a majority of us follow the letter of the law and don't let the badge influence the decisions we make on a daily basis.
There's good and bad in every walk of life...but if this story is true, I can't see how this was a wise thing to do by the officer in question.
There's good and bad in every walk of life...but if this story is true, I can't see how this was a wise thing to do by the officer in question.
Trending Topics
08-02-2006 | 05:44 PM
#12
Cop joyriding a persons vehicle and totals it and almost kills himself. Lawsuit anyone? I guess they will try to say the owner shouldnt have been driving on a sus. license. This cop was a newbie it sounds like, he should have known better.
08-02-2006 | 06:33 PM
#13
Registered User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 14,313
Likes: 0
From: USA
ONE law enforcement officer made ONE mistake.
That ONE mistake by that ONE law enforcement officer had NOTHING to do with his profession! HE made a bad decision, NOT his department and NOT the entire law enforcement profession!
That ONE mistake by that ONE law enforcement officer had NOTHING to do with his profession! HE made a bad decision, NOT his department and NOT the entire law enforcement profession!
Last edited by HighwaySpeed; 08-05-2006 at 02:30 PM.
08-02-2006 | 06:47 PM
#15
Originally Posted by HighwaySpeed
A guy made a mistake.
The mistake had NOTHING to do with his profession!
The mistake had NOTHING to do with his profession!
-- The guy was a cop. It has everything to do with his profession. If he wasn't a cop, he would have never been able to pull that car over. It was stated that he was spotted doing over or around 100 mph. Being a "cop", he should know better than to travel at those speeds, especially in a suspects car. This is just another incident when a cop feels that it is only his job to enforce the law, and not his duty to obey the laws himself.
08-02-2006 | 06:48 PM
#16
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
From: Canada
Originally Posted by HighwaySpeed
A guy made a mistake.
The mistake had NOTHING to do with his profession!
The mistake had NOTHING to do with his profession!
People are just pissed that cop went beyond his authority and abused it.
Cops enforce the law, they are not the law.
08-02-2006 | 06:55 PM
#17
Originally Posted by dkmesa350z
****ing pigs. No one ever accused the police in Atlanta of being intelligent
You should go watch a few of the videos of LEOs getting gunned down in the line of duty, perhaps it will generate a new sense of respect for these guys.
For the OP, this particular officer sounds like he was destined to weed himself out of the career-field or the gene pool sooner or later. Just glad to hear he didn't take anyone off the road with him.
08-02-2006 | 07:13 PM
#20
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 560
Likes: 0
From: vrrrrrrt
Well I dont have anything against the fuzz , more than any body cops get the guilt by association when one of them screws up,thats why you always here the bad stuff before the good stuff I hate the media