Muscogee County coroner no longer has to use U-Haul to transport bodies
This story was originally published by the Ledger-Enquirer.
The Muscogee County Coroner’s office officially has a new van after mechanical issues with their last van forced them to transport dead bodies using a U-Haul.
The new van is an upgrade from the previous vehicle that had more than 300,000 miles on it and often was in the repair shop, said Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan in a March interview.
“I’ve been here close to six years and we’ve had it break down numerous times when we’re trying to transport citizens loved ones to the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation]‚” said Deputy Coroner Elizabeth Allison about the old van she’s nicknamed “Old Faithful.”
Allison said the last incident the old van had was when a gas leak occurred when she and a forensic driver tried to start the vehicle and gas fumes started coming through the air conditioning vents.
After returning from the shop, “Old Faithful” is back in service for picking up bodies around the city with the new van being primarily used for trips to the GBI crime lab in Atlanta, she explained.
Allison says the new van can accommodate at least four adult sized bodies. This is achieved through the use of a hydraulic lift system that creates an upper and lower tier within the van’s insulated and refrigerated back compartment. The previous van could hold just two bodies.
The new van’s refrigeration unit slows the decomposition process during trips to Atlanta, Allison said.
At one point this year, the Coroner’s office had to transport six bodies to Atlanta in a U-Haul due to overcrowding at the County Morgue, according to Ledger-Enquirer reporting.
The Muscogee County Morgue helps house the bodies of surrounding counties as well as the bodies from homicides, pauper deaths, suicide deaths, and accidental deaths within Muscogee County, according to Bryan.
Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer in March that the coroner’s office processes approximately 1,250 bodies per year.
MEET OUR PARTNER
Today’s story comes from our partner, the Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus. The Ledger-Enquirer provides daily coverage of community news, events, and sports in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley at ledger-enquirer.com.
If you have any feedback or questions about our partnerships, you can contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams via email at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
