Forest Park Officer Struck by Patrol Car

Downtown Atlanta

Forest Park, Ga. – An officer with the Forest Park Police Department is in the hospital after he was struck by a hijacked patrol car.

Police responded to a call about an intoxicated person in a local neighborhood. The person was a naked and intoxicated woman who was allegedly attempting to get inside of a residence that she did not live in. The responding officer placed her in the back of the patrol car to keep her warm while he continued investigating. The woman then allegedly stole the patrol car and struck the officer.

The officer has undergone one surgery on his leg and has another surgery scheduled. Reports say that he is recovering well.

The woman has been charged with several serious felonies including serious injury by vehicle. As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the law behind serious injury by vehicle in today's post as it is frequently seen alongside charges for DUI in Georgia.

Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia

Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia is defined in the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §40-6-394 as:

Whoever, without malice, shall cause bodily harm to another by depriving him of a member of his body, by rendering a member of his body useless, by seriously disfiguring his body or a member thereof, or by causing organic brain damage which renders the body or any member thereof useless through the violation of Code Section 40-6-390 or 40-6-391 shall be guilty of the crime of serious injury by vehicle. A person convicted under this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than 15 years.

This law does not define what constitutes a serious injury, so in these situations, we have to look to other sources within the Georgia Code. Other Georgia laws define it as a “fractured bone, severe burns, disfigurement, dismemberment, partial or total loss of sight or hearing, or loss of consciousness.”  To be considered serious, the injury does not need to be permanent. Instead, a serious, temporary injury is sufficient and only needs to impair or injure a person's appearance. 

In the past, injuries such as loss of vision in one eye, blurry vision, a two-inch scar on the forehead, broken ribs, and severe bruising have qualified as “serious.”  Whether an injury is serious is a question of fact to be determined by the jury.

Serious injury by vehicle is classified as a felony offense. The penalty if convicted of serious injury by vehicle can include up to 15 years in prison.

Practice Note

Call our offices today if you have been accused of any serious traffic offense. We can help you now.