SCSO Responds To Collision Involving County Vehicles

As reported yesterday by WNEG News, two Stephens County Sheriff’s vehicles were involved in a crash on March 21. 

Yesterday, Captain Stephens Stewart with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office provided WNEG with details regarding the incident, confirming the collision and describing the events leading up to the incident. 

He said preliminary reports place the incident at approximately 7 p.m. on March 21, when two deputies were driving on Prather Bridge Road; one deputy was en route to the jail in response to a report of a combative inmate, while the other was transporting a detainee from an earlier domestic incident. As the vehicles traveled north on Prather Bridge Road, a black Honda Accord pulled off of Prather Circle, abruptly entering the path of the lead Sheriff’s Office vehicle.

According to Stewart’s description, as confirmed in the Georgia State Patrol Crash Report provided yesterday to WNEG News, the deputy driving the front patrol vehicle reacted to the Honda abruptly entering the patrol vehicle’s path by swerving to the right and narrowly avoiding a collision. According to the GSP Report, the rear patrol vehicle swerved left into the southbound lane of Prather Bridge Road to avoid the Honda, which had stopped in the intersection. The driver of the front patrol vehicle then corrected left, back toward the northbound lane, as the rear patrol vehicle also returned toward the northbound lane, and the the passenger side of the patrol car entering from the left, and the drivers side of the patrol car entering from the right, collided along the front quarter panels and front bumper areas. An illustration of the travel path of each vehicle, as determined by tire marks, final resting location of the vehicles, and driver statements, is included with this article on wnegradio.com, along with a full copy of the GSP Crash Report narrative. 

In notations on the GSP report, the driver of the Honda Accord, later identified as Romunzo Gustavius Brown, told officers he was focused on the patrol car northbound on Prather Bridge Road with its emergency lights activated, and when he realized he had stopped with the front of the intersection, he entered the roadway to “get out of the way” of the patrol vehicles. 

Stephens told WNEG News that  Brow was found to be driving under the influence, recklessly endangering the lives of law enforcement officers and other motorists on the road. 

He said that, because of the involvement of county-owned vehicles, the Sheriff’s Office policy is to contact the Georgia State Patrol to investigate the accident. The detainee was transported from the scene by Stephens County Emergency Medical Service as a precautionary measure due to a complaint of minor injury.

During the Georgia State Patrol’s investigation, Romunzo Gustavius Brown was apprehended and has been charged with one count Failure to exercise Due Care, Two Counts of Failure to Obey Stop Sign, one count Driving on Suspended Vehicle Registration, one count Driving on Suspended License, one count Failure to Maintain Insurance and one count Driving Under the Influence. 

Stephens said that the Toccoa Police Department had arrested Brown just six days prior for similar charges, raising concerns about repeated offenses and the need for more stringent enforcement measures, and WNEG News obtained Brown’s arrest record, which shows a history of repeat violations of DUI and motor vehicle laws as well as other crimes. 

Sheriff Randy Shirley expressed his gratitude for the swift response of emergency services and emphasized the importance of road safety for both law enforcement officers and the public, saying “Our deputies put their lives on the line every day to protect our community. Incidents like these serve as stark reminders of the dangers they face and the importance of responsible driving.”  

Stephens added that “Stephens County Sheriff’s Office is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents and will continue to work diligently to uphold the law and hold offenders accountable.”