Muscogee County coroner misidentifies pedestrian killed in Columbus

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan's office erroneously identified the pedestrian who was killed by a truck Sunday night on Fort Benning Road, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan's office erroneously identified the pedestrian who was killed by a truck Sunday night on Fort Benning Road, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. (Dreamstime/TNS)

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."

- Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan, on his office misidentifying a deceased pedestrian

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.