A Franklin County sheriff’s deputy is dead, and a 21-year-old is charged with vehicular homicide after a crash on I-85 Sunday evening.
Deputy William “Bill” Garner, 53, was struck and killed around 7 p.m. on July 19 while investigating a wreck near mile marker 164, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
Officials say a 2018 Honda Accord lost control and ran into the median where Garner was assisting the occupants of another vehicle that had wrecked.
There were reports that multiple vehicles traveling north and south on the interstate that hydroplaned, according to Fox Carolina. The car that hit the deputy was southbound on I-85.
The other drivers were not injured.
The State Patrol charged Abdulhafiz Abdullahi of Lawrenceville with first-degree vehicular homicide. Other charges are pending.
Lavonia Mayor Courtney Umbehant offered his condolences on Facebook:
Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell and Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum also extended their condolences online:
The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is investigating the crash.
Deputy Garner had served with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for just over a year. He leaves behind his wife, brother, and parents.
This article has been updated
