The Hall County Sheriff's Office has fired a now-former deputy who was involved in a fatal traffic accident in Gainesville on Thursday morning.
Aaron Buchanan was said to be off-duty when the collision occurred on Dawsonville Highway at Nix Drive.
Buchanan was still driving his marked patrol vehicle at the time of the crash, which took place at roughly 10:30 a.m.
The collision killed one person and injured another. No identities other than Buchanan's have been made public at this time.
A press statement from Hall County Sheriff's Office Civilian Public Information Officer B.J. Williams said Buchanan had worked for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office since September 2016. He had worked as a patrol deputy since January 4, 2021.
“I extend my sincerest condolences to the family that has suffered the loss of a loved one and the injury of another,” said Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch in a prepared statement sent to local media on Thursday night. “We are saddened and shocked by the tragic crash that occurred this morning. Our employees are held to a higher standard and they are entrusted to serve and protect those in this community."
"While swift action was taken in terminating the deputy, nothing can replace the loss of a loved one. This deputy failed to follow his training and our agency’s long-standing policies and procedures and neglected to obey state law," Couch's statement continued "No one in law enforcement should ever cause the innocent to be harmed and this type of reckless behavior will not be tolerated by anyone.”
The Georgia State Patrol is leading the investigation into the criminal aspect of Thursday's collision.
Williams said the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, which would not provide any further comment on Thursday evening, would provide additional information regarding its own investigation at a later date.
Messages to Post 6 of the Georgia State Patrol, which is handling the criminal investigation, had gotten no response at the time of publication.
