WAYCROSS, Ga. — A Georgia State Patrol trooper was injured in a crash Wednesday night while he was assisting the Waycross Police Department in a pursuit.
GSP said Waycross officers were trying to stop a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Tracy Hilliard, 47, on Swamp Road near Gilmore Drive.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
GSP said Trooper First Class Justin Jones “became the primary position in the pursuit” and worked to disable Hilliard’s vehicle with a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver.
Jones’ patrol car and the Tahoe both left the road, and the patrol car ended up “overturned and partially submerged in a canal,” GSP said.
Hilliard’s vehicle ended up on top of Jones’ patrol car, and Jones had to be rescued from the car by WPD officers.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The Waycross-Ware County Development Authority said in a Facebook post that Jones was airlifted to Memorial Trauma Center in Savannah.
“As a community, we stand in support of Trooper Jones and his loved ones during this difficult time. We’re all wishing him strength, healing, and a full recovery,” the Authority said in its Facebook post.
GSP said Jones expects to be released from the hospital soon.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.