DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Fairburn police sergeant has died and two more are injured after a major crash on a Douglas County road Thursday morning.
Firefighters were called to a four-vehicle crash on Capps Ferry Rd. a little over a mile south of Hwy. 166 just before 8 a.m.
“I heard three loud crashes,” Roosevelt Weaver told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington.
Weaver left his home and ran directly to Caps Ferry Rd. and saw the devastating scene.
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“I saw one guy on the ground and his ankle was broke, but he was speaking on the phone. And there was another guy in a black car and he wasn’t moving,” Weaver said.
Georgia State Patrol troopers confirmed that 54-year-old Officer Jean-Harold Louis Astree was driving an unmarked Fairburn Police Department Dodge Charger.
Troopers say the unmarked patrol car was going north when it hit a GMC Dually truck going south on its left side. The impact sent the GMC Dually truck into the northbound lanes where it struck an Audi SUV. The Dodge Charger crossed the center line into the southbound lane where it hit a second GMC truck head-on.
Officer Astree was pronounced dead on the scene.
The other injured victims were taken to local hospitals and are expected to make full recoveries.
The flag at the Fairburn Police Department was lowered to half mass in his honor.
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Officer Astree had been with the Fairburn Police Department since April 2018 and had previously worked with the City in 2011. He was also a veteran of the United States Air Force.
“The City is heartbroken due to the tragic loss of Sgt. Astree,” said Mayor Mario B. Avery. “Today our City has lost a hero for public safety and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. We thank all the surrounding jurisdictions for stepping in to assist us during this difficult time.”
“Our officers appreciate the support of the City of Fairburn and the community during this extraordinarily painful time,” said Chief of Police James McCarthy. “We extend our deepest condolences to Sgt. Astree’s family, friends, and fellow officers. We will do all that we can to support them during this painful time.”
Officer Astree leaves behind a wife and children.
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GSP is continuing their investigation into the crash.
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