One summer day, when I was still a baby blue, I was involved in my first traffic accident. Yep, one of many to follow. Hell, I even had an accident escorting a “house” one time. But that’s another story.

On one summer morning, about brunch time, a call came into radio. “Zone 2 units”. Ahhh… Two deputies, huh? Allen and I must have us a good one. “156–141, report of a heated 10-16, (domestic) at such and such address”. Meet with a “Lori J” in Rebel Trails Subdivision. Be on the lookout for a 5’6’ W/M with Curley hair named Kenny J****. Oh, look, Kenny J is on the ruckus again. We arrived and spoke with Lori. I knew Lori and Kenny from high school. We even rode the same school bus for a couple of years. It seemed that Kenny was ignoring a “no contact order.” (T.P.O.) Kenny went into drugs as a profession right out of high school. Lori said he had been pushing her around and her parents had kicked him out of the house. She said, every time he comes back, he causes trouble. I told Allen, “I’ve got this one.” Allen went back 10-8. (In Service) So, I went into the backyard and yelled for Kenny to come out of the woods. He knew he was already wanted for violating his no contact order from days earlier.

I yelled, “Kenny, this is Eddie.” “Get out of there!,” there was no response. Lori said that when Kenny hears our sirens, he runs back into the woods. I stayed for a little while longer, but he never came out of the woods. I told Lori to call back if Kenny showed up again.

I resumed my patrol duties. I was still in the area when the call came again. I was still close and about a mile away. “141 radio, I’m on Wallace Lake, en route”. I told Radio my location so everyone listening knew how close I was to the call. Sergeant Price (shift commander) said to wait for him to get close. Heated domestic disputes are still way up there on the dead cop list. Wallace Lake Road is still a very narrow road. Remembering what Lori had told me earlier in the day. I had to get there quickly to get Kenny. I decided to hit the blue light on my patrol car’s roof. No siren this time, just a blue light. There was very little traffic down by the lake. I raced towards the lake and started around a curve.

At that time in Georgia, a blue light without a siren couldn’t claim the roadway. Citizens did not have to give way, even though most people did.

As I started into the curve, I saw a 6-wheel flatbed truck coming toward me on my side of the road.  Remember, this was a narrow road. The big work truck quickly regained its lane before I reached him. However, a pickup truck rounded the curve the same way the 6-wheeler did and nailed the side of my cruiser. My door mirror was lying in the middle of the road. As it turned out, the 6-wheel flatbed belonged to the pickup truck driver who was driving behind. I told radio of my accident (10-50).

The Georgia State Patrol was dispatched to investigate my accident. Troop investigated all county vehicles involved in accidents. No favor would be given.

“What the hell were you doing going that fast” yelled the pickup truck driver?  I told the driver that I needed his driver’s license and insurance.

“You little punk”!  I did not hit you, you hit me. The 6-wheel flatbed driver parked and walked up to the accident scene to check on his boss. Now, his boss really put on a show. He started yapping again. “You’re just a kid, a punk with a gun.” I did not respond. I just waited for the trooper. The boss was still pitching his fit, then he walked back over to me as I was sitting on the hood of my cruiser. “You’re just a punk kid.” “Take that gun and badge off, and we’ll settle this right now.” I’m sure every L.E.O. has had that said to them at one time or another.

When the Trooper arrived, he didn’t have time to get out of his car before he was bum-rushed. “Oh, I bet you’ll take his word over mine.” I told the troop my story as above.

The State Trooper started his investigation with the bossman leaning in. The trooper then started measuring. I had left a perfect half-moon skid mark in that curve. The trooper told the bossman to find the edge of the road, which he did. It was marked. Then he and the trooper walked across the road to the other side, where the trooper asked again. The pickup driver swept some gravel from the roadside and pointed to the edge of the road. He and the trooper then measured from mark to mark and found the exact middle of the road. Sergeant Price arrived and was filled in by the trooper about the accident. It definitely showed that my patrol car was on my side of the road at the time of the collision.

I was red-hot by this point! When the bossman saw me fuming, he came over to me with hat in hand. He apologized profusely. He asked me if I would shake his hand. I was not happy, but I shook it anyway.

Kenny was not caught that day. But thankfully he was busted a couple of weeks later before he could do any more damage to Lori.