Wrecked Deputy's Car A Reminder to 'Move Over'

A smashed-up Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office car has been placed in front of the county justice and administrative building as a reminder for motorists to drive safely and move over.

The car, totaled last year by an alleged drunk driver, was put on display Wednesday at the county offices in Lawrenceville.

The sheriff’s office hopes it sends a powerful message as we head toward Easter and Spring Break, when many will be on the road while on vacation.

The sheriff’s office said the car was wrecked in a serious rear-end collision last year while Deputy Justin Lunt was providing visibility and protection for a highway work crew. The driver struck Lunt and the patrol car from behind; he told police he was changing the music on his cell phone before the collision, the sheriff’s office said.

Lunt sustained serious injuries and has not returned to duty.

The vehicle will be on display through the month of April.

The sheriff’s office says 52 county vehicles have been struck since 2000 by unsafe drivers. In 1993, Gwinnett County Police Officer Chris Magill was killed by a drunk driver while waiting in his cruiser for a tow truck to tow the car of another drunk driver.

More from the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office:

The Sheriff’s Office is an active supporter of the Move Over Georgia committee, a diverse group that includes personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, County and city police and fire departments, the Georgia State Patrol and Gwinnett County residents. The committee works to educate drivers about Georgia Code, Title 40-6-16, also known as the “Spencer Pass Move-Over Law,” which requires Georgia drivers to move over one lane, if possible, or to slow down below the posted speed limit and be prepared to stop when an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is operating on the shoulder of the roadway.