Muscogee County coroner misidentifies pedestrian killed in Columbus
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan has been on the job for a decade, but he experienced a first last weekend.
Bryan’s office erroneously identified the pedestrian who was killed by a truck driver Sunday night on Fort Benning Road, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
Cynthia Griswould was identified by several news outlets as the pedestrian, but it turns out she is very much alive, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer that a retired Columbus police officer viewed the body and identified the woman as his sister.
The office became aware of its error late Monday, when Bryan received a picture of Griswould holding her state ID card, the newspaper reported.
“He positively identified her as his sister, Ms. Griswould. So, we ran with it,” Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer. “It’s not my fault.”
A member of Griswould’s family told the Ledger-Enquirer they don’t want to comment.
“He positively identified her as his sister, Ms. Griswould. So, we ran with it."
The coroner’s office took fingerprints from the pedestrian’s body Tuesday morning and was preparing to notify the pedestrian’s family, Bryan told the newspaper.
About the Author
· Rich Barak works in the sports department as a leader/coach. In his career, Barak has covered everyone from Tommy Lasorda to Timothy Leary. He can be reached via email at Richard.Barak@ajc.com, on Twitter at @RBARACK or by calling 217-722-0184.
