Driver to face charges after South Fulton officer struck, injured
A South Fulton police officer is expected to recover after he was hit by a car Thursday morning while responding to an earlier crash involving a pedestrian.
Cpl. Cornelius Wood, 35, was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital after he was hit by a driver on Cascade Road. The incident happened “as he was attempting to pick something up out of the middle of the street, probably some debris of some sort,” said Cedric Alexander, spokesperson for the city of South Fulton.
Charges against the 19-year-old driver are pending, according to the Georgia State Patrol, which is investigating the crash. The GSP did not specify what the charges will be.
When the vehicle, a white 2013 Toyota Corolla, struck Wood, “he hit the top of the car, it appears, and hit the windshield as well, causing great injury to the officer,” Alexander said.
The car appeared to have its windshield crushed and caved in.
Wood suffered a broken leg and several bruises. He may need surgery but is expected to be OK, the spokesperson said.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received during this difficult time. Our son was injured in the line of duty while serving the community he loves,” Wood’s family said in a statement. “We ask that you please keep him in your prayers as he continues to receive medical care, and we thank the South Fulton community for standing with our family.”
Wood has been with the department for about a year.
The incident happened just before 7:30 a.m. in the area of Cascade Road near Old Cascade Road, just east of Fulton Industrial Boulevard. The area remained blocked to traffic at least through 10 a.m.
The driver who struck the officer stayed at the scene, police said.
The GSP has not said if speed was a factor, but Alexander noted that drivers should always slow down while passing police or road crews.
“It’s a challenging job … we train officers to be very careful, but unfortunately, we have these incidents occur from time to time,” he said.
He added: “The men and women of South Fulton, they enjoy their work. In fact, when I was talking to officer Wood, he was asking me, ‘When can I get back to work?’ … It just goes to show you the spirit that these men and women have about doing this job every day, and I think that’s something to be applauded.”
— Freelance photographer Ben Hendren contributed to this article.
