An officer hit a pedestrian with a cruiser and then crashed into a home early Tuesday, DeKalb County Police said.
A vehicle was traveling northbound on Chamblee Tucker Road around 7:30 a.m. and then made a left turn from Hannah Drive onto Chamblee Tucker in front of the officer. The officer tried to avoid a wreck and struck 66-year-old Janet Pickney who was jogging in the crosswalk.
The officer's cruiser then continued to strike a house at that intersection, near Tucker High School.
Pickney was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. Her cousin told 11Alive she's a retired school teacher who loves to run. “She’s a really sweet person. I just asked people to pray to her to overcome this. I’m still in shock that this happened," said Carol Ann Whiteman.
The home owner, Carolyn, provided CPR to Pickney after she witnessed the cruiser hit her.
"She was blue in the lips," Carolyn said. "She was in a bad position to do CPR and I was concerned about: do I move her?"
According to Carolyn, the cruiser was taking a curve right outside of her home when it lost control and hit the pedestrian. This is not the first time this has happened. A few months ago, a police cruiser was speeding through that same intersection and got into a wreck.
When asked what her message was to the DeKalb PD, Carolyn simply responded, "Grow up and stop playing speed racer."
The officer involved is in stable condition and at a nearby hospital. He was later identified as 30-year-old Ian MacGowan. DeKalb Police say he is a 4-year veteran with their department.
