Deputy Ejected After Patrol Vehicle Struck on Bobby Jones Expressway; Suspect Arrested

RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. — A deputy was injured early Monday morning after a patrol vehicle was struck while responding to a vehicle fire on the Bobby Jones Expressway, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred around 3:53 a.m. on April 13, 2026, in the westbound lanes just before the Wrightsboro Road Extension.

Deputies were on scene handling a vehicle fire when an oncoming vehicle struck the rear of a marked patrol unit. Authorities said the impact caused one deputy to be ejected from the vehicle.

The deputy was conscious and alert at the scene and was transported to Wellstar MCG Medical Center for further evaluation. A second deputy sustained minor head injuries.

The Georgia State Patrol responded and is leading the investigation, with assistance from its Specialized Response Team.

Troopers identified the driver as 30-year-old Christopher Jarrod Lewis. He was located and taken into custody.

Lewis has been charged with driving under the influence, following too closely, and violating Georgia’s Move Over Law. He is also being held for a violation of probation or parole.

He was transported and booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center in Augusta.