A pedestrian was killed Thursday evening after being struck by a DeKalb County police officer while crossing a busy street in Tucker, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 10:30 p.m. near a Wendy’s on Hugh Howell Road.
According to investigators, Sgt. Charles Cole was driving west in his police SUV when the pedestrian attempted to cross the street and was hit. The man killed was identified by the Georgia State Patrol as 66-year-old Charlie Aaron Mitchell of Tucker.
According to police, Mitchell was struck while crossing the road outside of a designated crosswalk. The officer who hit him told investigators he never saw the man, according to an incident report.
In a written statement from DeKalb police, spokeswoman Michaela Vincent deferred all questions about the incident to the State Patrol, which is handling the investigation.
“Meanwhile, we can advise you that the sergeant has been placed on administrative leave and assure you that the DKPD will fully comply with the investigation,” she said.
The fatal crash shut down Hugh Howell Road between Lawrenceville Highway and Mountain Industrial Boulevard for hours. A pair of shoes, presumably Mitchell’s, could be seen in the middle of the street, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Cole’s SUV was towed away from the scene and the road eventually reopened about 3 a.m. Friday.
The crash remains under investigation by the GSP.
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