A DeKalb County man gets emotional when he recalls his late wife, who died after she was hit by a DeKalb police officer’s car while jogging.
“I held her hand for more than 12 hours,” Ed Pickney told Channel 2 Action News of his wife Janet, who was 66 at the time of the July 25 incident. “I talked to her.”
Officer Iain MacGowan was swerving to avoid a vehicle turning in front of him at the intersection of Brown and Chamblee Tucker roads, DeKalb police Lt. Lonzy Robertson said. MacGowan also crashed into a house at the intersection.
“Janet was supposed to be home,” her husband said. “She was like clockwork. Something was wrong.”
He said he drove into the neighborhood, saw the police activity, then drove to Grady Memorial Hospital.
“I kept trying to say to myself, ‘It wasn’t her,’ or ‘she’s not hurt bad, broke leg, maybe just a scratch,’” Ed Pickney said.
Police said Friday their investigation is ongoing.
Janet Pickney, a retired teacher, was an active member of the Atlanta Track Club, Executive Director Rich Kenah said after the incident.
She participated in many Grand Prix running events and was competitive in her age group, averaging a 10-minute, 51-second mile in the July 4 AJC Peachtree Road Race.
“I'm angry, I’m devastated at the cop to be going that fast to do that much damage,” Ed Pickney said.
“I hope the police officer is punished as a civilian would be punished.”
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.
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