CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia State Patrol trooper was killed early Tuesday morning after investigating a deadly crash in Clayton County that claimed the life of a construction worker, the Georgia Department of Public Safety announced.
"The Georgia Department of Public Safety is saddened to announce the line-of-duty death of Trooper First Class Chase Redner #290," Georgia DPS said in a post on Facebook.
It happened on I-75 North near Mt. Zion Boulevard as Trooper First Class Redner was on scene investigating a crash when he was "struck by a vehicle," DPS said.
Redner was "rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he passed away," the post added.
"TFC Redner has been employed with the Georgia Department of Public Safety since September 2017 and was a graduate of the 103rd Trooper School," DPS said. "The Department of Public Safety sends its sincerest condolences and prayers to TFC Redner’s family and co-workers. Please keep TFC Redner’s family in your prayers as they cope with the loss of their loved one."
In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp said he and his family were "devastated by the news of Trooper Chase Redner's sudden and tragic passing."
"As the second state patrolman to die in the line of duty in less than a month, our hearts are broken for his mother and fiancée, for his friends and community, and for the entire Department of Public Safety family," the statement continued. "This is an incredibly painful time for their elite ranks, and we ask that all Georgians -- and those far beyond our state -- pray for Trooper Redner's family, loved ones, and colleagues."
The crash is being investigated by the Troop C Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, DPS said. It happened as troopers responded to an earlier fatal crash on I-75 near Mt. Zion Boulevard.
GSP said in a release that in the earlier crash, a Kia Forte traveled into a construction zone and hit a construction worker, who died from his injuries. According to the medical examiner's office, the worker was identified as 68-year-old Nathaniel McCreary of Jonesboro.
There was no additional information on whether there would be charges in the crash that killed the construction worker. Exact details on the later crash that killed Trooper Redner were unclear.
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