Distracted police officer crashes into deaf woman, causing traumatic brain damage
[Transcript] Last week news outlets in Georgia reported that a deaf woman, Sarah Wood, was driving her SUV in stop-and-go rush hour traffic on Interstate 85 on April 1 when she was struck in the back by a Gwinnet County police cruiser that was going 68 mph.
The impact was very severe. Pictures of the SUV show the rear part completely crushed.
Sarah was taken to a hospital with a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for four weeks. It took her another week to finally be conscious enough to be able to communicate with her family. She told “The Daily Moth” in a video interview that she doesn’t even remember the impact.
SARAH WOOD:
My name is Sarah Wood. (Signs name)
BRIAN BOOZER:
Hi, my name is Brian Boozer. I’m her fiancé.
WOOD:
On April 1, I worked for 8 hours. It was almost overtime. I was ready to go home. I texted him to let him know I was on the way home. I got out of the building and got in the car and drove.
[Image of gray SUV that is wrecked in the back]
SARAH:
It is a big shock what happened. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s tough that it happened. I just don’t want it to happen to other people.
ALEX:
Channel 2 Action News said the police officer, Todd Ramsey, appeared to be dipping tobacco and his laptop was playing a “Grand Theft Auto” video. The officer was able to talk after the crash and said he didn’t know who he hit. He said he had a problem with his eye or contact.
See this video from WSB-TV 2 News.
Video: [Police body camera video showing a Gwinnet County officer responding to the scene of the crash. He asks Ramsey, who is dazed and in the passenger seat with a deflated airbag in front of him, “How you holding up, boss?” The video angle shifts back and forth to show an interstate. The responding officer asks, “Do you remember which car it was?” Then he says, “He says he don’t know.”]
ALEX:
Ramsey got a citation for following too closely. A news investigation found that this was his eighth at-fault accident. He was demoted in September and is now prohibited from driving or operating a Gwinnet County vehicle for any reason.
Sarah is now working with an attorney named Susan Witt to try and resolve a claim with Gwinnet County. She told “The Daily Moth” in an email that if they can’t resolve the claim, they will file suit in the near future and pursue it to the fullest extent.
WSB-TV 2 News reported that Sarah can no longer work because of the traumatic brain injury she suffered. Sarah told “The Daily Moth” that her life has changed after the crash.
SARAH:
I’ve noticed that I am a lot different now than before the accident. Before, I was just fine, but now I feel fearful, unsure of what to do, I have to ask him for help and he is willing to help me out with things. He’s helped so much. But when it’s by myself, I can’t handle it. That’s why he’s here with me.
BRIAN: It’s tough for her now. Also she struggles to use hearing aids. Can you explain?
SARAH:
Sometimes when I wear my hearing aids, it causes pain. It’s something with the nerves. I understand that it happens, but when I put it on, I have to take it off to stop the pain. It’s on and off. It’s really annoying, the pain.
ALEX:
Sarah’s fiancé said he had a difficult time to decide if he wanted to bring their daughter to the hospital to see her.
BRIAN:
Yeah, it was a tough decision with my daughter on what to do as she really wanted to see her mother when she was in a coma. I made a decision to bring her and it ended up being a blessing because she was really excited to see her and help her out. She was ready to help out when she woke up and she helped a lot. But she had to go through counseling because of what happened to her. She is in a deaf school and they helped out with bringing her to a counselor.
ALEX:
Sarah’s attorney said that this is the first time she has had a “case with a police officer as the cause of the collision due to distracted driving” and that it is “beyond understanding” how the officer, who is supposed to enforce a Georgia hands free law, was “using his device in the manner he was.”
Gwinnet County police did not provide a comment or answer questions to WSB-TV 2 News when they asked why Ramsey did not face any other charges.
Sarah’s medical bills are more than $500,000 and growing.
Sarah and her fiance said because the crash happened on April 1, many people thought it was a joke when they tried to tell others about the incident.
Witt said she hopes “the media coverage of this event will help bring awareness of this dangerous situation and that police departments will examine their policies regarding electronic use and will better monitor their officers’ use of electronics while driving.”
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/2-investigates/cop-crashed-into-car-while-playing-grand-theft-auto-video-investigation-finds/1009924685
https://www.wjcl.com/article/police-georgia-cop-had-grand-theft-auto-playing-when-he-hit-driver-putting-her-in-a-coma/29841865
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