GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A man is dead after he was struck by a Gwinnett County Police officer's patrol car early Sunday morning while walking on the street.
The officer was driving along Brook Hollow Parkway just after 3:30 a.m. when he struck a man near the intersection at Mitchell Road, according to a release from the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Police said the man, identified as Ramon Perez, was walking in the roadway when he was hit. The officer swerved to try and avoid hitting Perez but wasn't able to.
His cousin, Fabiola Martinez, said that he was a father of three, who was working in construction, sending money back home to family members in Guatemala.
"It hurts a lot," she said in a Spanish interview that has since been translated to English. "His mom is getting older... so he was helping my aunt back home."
After Perez was hit, the car veered off the road, traveled up an embankment and crashed into a tree and fence.
Following the crash, police said the officer got out of the patrol car and immediately started giving aid to the 48-year-old.
Perez later died from his injuries. The police officer suffered minor injuries.
"He was very kind, very caring," Martinez added.
11Alive saw Georgia State Patrol troopers along the 45 mph road Monday, as the investigation continued.
Perez’s former neighbor, Arnulfo Gutierrez, said news quickly spread in their town.
“We struggled to believe what happened," Gutierrez said. "Where we live, there’s a Facebook page, where we talk about our people. It wasn’t until about 3 p.m. Sunday when they announced his death and we were stunned.”
Gwinnett County police said that the officer suffered minor injuries and is on a brief administrative leave with pay. He’s expected to return to work in a "light duty status" later this week, which the department said is a standard operating procedure for cases like this.
It is unknown if the officer was responding to a call at the time or if he had his emergency lights on.
Georgia State Patrol is continuing the investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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