The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
County cruiser avoiding collision hits runner, crashes into house
A DeKalb County police cruiser hit and critically injured a runner before crashing into a house early Tuesday.
Just before 7:30 a.m., a police officer swerved to avoid a vehicle turning in front of him and struck 66-year-old Janet Pickney, DeKalb police Lt. Lonzy Robertson said. The cruiser then crashed into a house at the intersection of Brown and Chamblee Tucker roads.
“A vehicle made a left turn in front of the officer,” Chief James Conroy told Channel 2 Action News. “The officer took an evasive maneuver to avoid that vehicle and struck a pedestrian who was in the crosswalk.”
Witness Michael Lohry told the news station he didn’t want to touch Pick- ney “because she was in such a contorted position.”
Pickney and the officer were taken to a hospital in critical condition. The officer was later upgraded to critical but stable condition, according to DeKalb police.
Police have not released his name, but said he is 31 years old. At the time of the crash, he was responding to a call about a downed tree, according to Channel 2.
The driver of the other car stayed on the scene and was interviewed by police, Channel 2 reported.
The owner of the home, who was inside the residence at the time of the crash, was not injured.
Charges have not been filed in the case, according to Channel 2.