A 35-year-old sanitation worker was just doing his job Monday morning when he became the victim of a deadly hit-and-run in Union City, authorities said.
The driver accused of hitting him is now behind bars, facing a count of vehicular homicide among several charges.
The parents of Brandon McCrary spoke to Channel 2 Action News about the incident that killed their son, who worked for Union City Public Works. His mother, Jeri McCrary, couldn’t believe anyone would be cruel enough to leave the scene.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“They hit him like they would hit a cat or a dog or an animal and just left him there,” she told Channel 2. “They took away our son, who we loved so dearly.”
Brandon McCrary was cleaning up garbage on the side of Lester Road when the driver of a Dodge Challenger slammed into him and sped off, the news station reported.
After a manhunt across the county, Georgia State Patrol troopers were able to use tire marks from the scene to track down 27-year-old Joel John Jr. to a home in Fairburn. The Challenger sustained heavy damage to its passenger side and had struck a guardrail during the incident, investigators told Channel 2.
He was arrested on charges of first-degree vehicular homicide, failure to report an accident, hit-and-run, driving on an expired license, tampering with evidence and failure to maintain lane, Fulton County jail records show.
Union City Mayor Vince Williams told Channel 2 that the city is looking through options to prevent an incident like this from happening again. The city is also bringing in grief counselors to speak with employees affected by McCrary’s death.
“For someone to heartlessly hit a human being — that’s just unimaginable,” Williams said.
John waived his first court appearance Tuesday morning and was denied bond. His next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21.
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