Q: What is the Georgia State Patrol policy on issuing tickets to the person at fault in an accident? Is a ticket automatic or at the investigating officers’ discretion? — E.D. Payton Jr., Marietta

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Q: What is the Georgia State Patrol policy on issuing tickets to the person at fault in an accident? Is a ticket automatic or at the investigating officers’ discretion?

— E.D. Payton Jr., Marietta

A: It is up to the discretion of the officer, said Lt. Paul Cosper, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol. The officer can hold the driver at fault and not issue a citation. “The way we look at it is if there’s somebody clearly at fault they probably need a ticket, but it is up to the investigating officer,” Cosper said.

Q: A little over a year ago a pregnant elephant passed away at Zoo
Atlanta. I was very sad because I was looking forward to seeing the baby. Has the cause of death ever been determined?

—Dixie Kraft, Newnan

A: Dottie, the African
elephant who passed away in October, died of acute pneumonia, 
zoo spokeswoman Keisha Hines-Davis said. Further testing confirmed the
results of a preliminary necropsy that found evidence of the pneumonia. The 26-year-old elephant was in the third trimester of her pregnancy, which lasts 24 months. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory helped investigate the cause of her death.

Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail
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