Hapeville officer recovering after driver slams into cruiser on I-85

A Hapeville police officer was injured Tuesday afternoon when another driver lost control and slammed into his patrol car on the side of I-85.

The crash occurred about 12:40 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the interstate near Sylvan Road, Hapeville police spokesman Detective Stephen Cushing told AJC.com.

According to police, Officer Brandon Hickman, 36, was sitting in his cruiser on the right shoulder when he was hit.

“A passing motorist in the left lane lost control of their vehicle, crossed three traffic lanes and struck the officer’s patrol car in the rear,” Cushing said.

The impact knocked Hickman unconscious and pushed his cruiser into the back of another car that he had pulled over, he said.

The officer was pulled from his vehicle by passing motorists who witnessed the crash.

Hickman regained consciousness and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital’s trauma unit. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at Grady, no one has been allowed to visit Hickman, including his wife, authorities said.

Hapeville police said early Wednesday morning that the officer was recovering and resting.

“We as a department are grateful for all the prayers, calls and text messages,” the police department said on Twitter.

Two people inside the vehicle he had pulled over were also taken to the hospital but did not appear to be seriously injured, Cushing said.

The Lexus SUV that struck Hickman’s vehicle overturned in the wreck. The driver, identified by the Georgia State Patrol as 24-year-old Myame Quiovers of College Park, was able to walk away from the collision and declined medical attention at the scene.

Hapeville police said the driver’s speed was “a major factor” in the collision.

The GSP confirmed late Tuesday that Quiovers has been charged with speeding, driving too fast for conditions, operating an unsafe vehicle, not wearing a seat belt, reckless driving, improper lane change, violating Georgia’s Move Over law, driving in violation of a limited permit and failure to maintain lane.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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