A body found Friday in a Gwinnett County lake is that of a man accused of hitting an officer's car earlier this month and driving away, police said.
A neighbor whose home borders Lake Lucerne, near Lilburn, called police after seeing the man's body near the lake's surface, Cpl. Jake Smith with Gwinnett police told the AJC.
Investigators from the county's medical examiner's office confirmed the man's identity as Javon K. Depass, of Snellville, Smith said.
Shortly after midnight Jan. 8, Depass, 25, allegedly struck a marked patrol car near the intersection of U.S. 78 and Lake Lucerne Road and continued driving, police previously said. Police believe alcohol was a factor in the wreck. The officer was not seriously injured.
Depass then struck a utility pole on Lake Lucerne Road near St. Moritz Drive, police said. Following that collision, investigators said, the man is believed to have jumped out of his vehicle and run toward the lake.
A police dog tracked the man's scent to the water, but lost it. Depass' wallet and other papers with his name were found, but he wasn't, police said. His family reported him missing when he failed to return home.
Divers searched the lake in the days following the incident, but were unable to locate the man.
About the Author
