The Cornelia Police Department has released dashcam video showing the moment an officer rear-ended a stopped vehicle on GA 105/Cannon Bridge Road in Demorest. Two teens were in the SUV that was hit. No serious injuries were reported, but the crash disabled both vehicles.
The rear-end wreck occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, as Officer Eric Palmer headed to his night shift at the Cornelia Police Department. According to the accident report filed by the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, Palmer was driving east on Cannon Bridge Road in a Dodge Durango police cruiser when he rear-ended a Toyota 4Runner driven by 17-year-old Walker Young of Cleveland. Young’s 18-year-old girlfriend, Savannah Martin, was a passenger in the 4Runner.
Young had stopped in the road to allow a vehicle in front of him to turn left onto Sweetbriar Drive. The video shows Officer Palmer driving at a steady speed, not slowing down, as he crashes into the rear of the stopped 4Runner.
The aftermath
After conducting an internal investigation and reviewing the police cruiser’s dashcam video, the Cornelia Police Department determined Officer Palmer was texting and driving when the wreck happened.
“Due to the distraction of the phone, his reaction time was impeded,” says Assistant Cornelia Police Chief Jonathan Roberts. The accident report filed by the sheriff’s office says EMS evaluated Martin on the scene for neck, back, and leg pain but did not transport her to the hospital. Habersham County Emergency Services Capt. Matt Ruark says, “treatment and transport was refused.”
The day after the wreck, HCSO Sgt. Brian Collins wrote Palmer a ticket for texting while driving, which is a violation of Georgia’s hands-free law and Cornelia Police Department policy. In addition, police command staff disciplined Palmer and ordered him to attend training for distracted driving.
The posted speed limit on the stretch of Cannon Bridge Road where the wreck happened is 55 mph. In bodycam footage, Palmer can be heard telling Deputy Collins he estimated he was “running about 60.” Collins noted in his report three factors that contributed to the wreck: following too close, too fast for conditions, and distracted driving.
The bodycam footage shows Palmer speaking to the teens on the side of the road near Young’s wrecked vehicle. He later expresses to his supervisor his concern about losing his job. Parol Commander Lt. Wayne Green reassures him, saying, “You might have to do a little paperwork. You’re good.”
Family and friends of the teens expressed their relief that the accident was no worse.
“He was on his cellphone at 50 or 60 miles per hour, so we’re honestly just thankful the kids are still here with us,” says Karen Parks, who’s engaged to Young’s father.
Compelling reminder
The dashcam video of the CPD cruiser crash is a compelling reminder of the dangers of distracted driving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nine people in the United States are killed in distracted driving crashes every day. While there are many ways in which drivers can be distracted, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls texting “the most alarming.”
“Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed,” the agency says.
According to NHTSA, 3,142 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2020, accounting for 8% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. that year. From 2012 to 2020, distracted driving killed approximately 29,000 people nationwide.
To prevent such tragedies, the NHTSA offers these tips:
- If you must send or receive a text, pull over to a safe location and park your car first.
- If you have passengers, appoint a “designated texter” to handle all your texting.
- If you can’t resist the temptation to look at your phone, keep it in the trunk.
Roberts hopes the rear-end crash on Cannon Bridge Road will serve as a wake-up call to all drivers.
“We want this accident to be [a] lesson to all public safety and the motoring public that this can happen to anyone…let’s all travel safer and get where we are going.”
