SPARTA, Georgia — A Central Georgia police department is in mourning after a "beloved" police dispatcher was killed in Florida early Thursday morning, a press release from the department says.
Sparta Police say dispatcher Mary Jones was struck and killed by a passing car while attempting to secure items on a trailer.
"Dispatcher Jones was a dedicated member of our department and served the community with distinction," the police department said in the press release. "Her loss is felt deeply, and we ask that you keep her husband and the entire Jones Family, along with the Sparta Police Department family, in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
According to the press release, Jones was in Jacksonville, Florida when she was hit along I-95 near Edgewood Avenue at around 12:35 a.m. Thursday.
However, Florida State Troopers say the driver — who is believed to be in a black or dark gray Ford Explorer — did not stop and instead fled the scene after striking Jones. They believe the car was from between 2016 and 2019 and is likely to have damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle.
That includes a missing side mirror and damage to the vehicle's front right bumper.
They ask that the community also "prays that the offender is located and apprehended."
The Hancock County Sheriff's Office issued their condolences to Jones and the department.
"Our heart is heavy here in Hancock County, Sparta,Georgia," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.
According to our sister station, First Coast News in Jacksonville, the Florida Highway Patrol said that the suspect's vehicle had been located. The suspect, however, has not been located.
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