A Cherokee County deputy is recovering after a chase and crash sent him to a local hospital Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a Facebook post, Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds said Deputy Andrew Hendrix, 35, was trying to “apprehend a suspect when he was involved in a motor vehicle crash.” Hendrix’s right foot was injured during the incident, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Joshua L. Watkins.
“Fortunately, God was watching out for this man and shielded him from serious injury,” Reynolds said in the Facebook post.
Hendrix spotted 28-year-old Joshua Brandon Reece, who he recognized from previous incidents, while on patrol about 11 a.m. Saturday, and he pull him over for failing to maintain his lane, Watkins said. Once Hendrix got Reece’s driver’s license and told him to turn his vehicle off, Reece allegedly drove away.
The chase began on Sam Nelson Road and ended on Rampley Trail, according to a Georgia State Patrol crash report obtained by AJC.com. Hendrix was driving south on the road when he lost control on a curve, hitting a Chevrolet Trailblazer that had stopped in the other direction, the report said.
Credit: Georgia State Patrol
Credit: Georgia State Patrol
The patrol car then traveled about 60 feet off the road before hitting a house, the report said. He was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital for his injuries.
Sometime during the incident, Reece abandoned his vehicle and ran into the woods, Watkins said. He was taken into custody shortly after the crash by a K-9 unit. He was wanted on a warrant accusing him of parole violation.
Reece was released on parole Aug. 28 after being convicted of second-degree burglary in 2012, officials said. He has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2009, according to Georgia Department of Corrections records.
Credit: Georgia Department of Corrections
Credit: Georgia Department of Corrections
Reece is now charged with obstruction of an officer, weaving over roadway, reckless driving and attempting to elude police in connection with the Cherokee County incident. The parole violation and the attempting to elude charges are both felonies.
Hendrix has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, according to the sheriff’s office. Reynolds said the county is “blessed to have men like Deputy Hendrix serving our community.”
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