MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A family in Milledgeville is mourning the loss of their loved one, while another person is in jail after a Baldwin County deputy-involved crash.
According to the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, on Wednesday before 11 p.m., 37-year-old Quchina Harden made a call to 911 explaining that her boyfriend had been murdered. When officers responded to his home, the man who was supposedly murdered answered the door.
"It was a surprise to him," Maj. Scott Deason with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said.
Deason said Sgt. Reid White, who has been with the sheriff's office for 10 years, was headed to the scene but he never made it.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, White drove down Kings Road and ended up behind Louis Mazzola, who was coming home from work.
White activated his lights and siren, but when he tried to pass Mazzola on the left, Deason says Mazzola also turned left toward Back in the Woods Way.
The state patrol says White was unable to avoid hitting Mazzola and when Mazzola was ejected from his car, White tried to help. White got out of his car and administered CPR until emergency services arrived. Mazzola was taken to a medical facility, where he later died.
For Deason, it is a reminder of how making false emergency calls is dangerous.
"I want the public to know that anytime they make a false call or get involved in what's now traditionally called swatting and have law enforcement responding to a location where there is no crime has been committed, the dangers it puts not only the public in but also your law enforcement who's out there trying to serve and protect your community," Deason said.
Harden was taken to the Baldwin County jail and charged with making a false report of a crime and an improper 911 call.
White is on administrative while GSP investigates. Deason says they are praying for Mazzola and this situation could've been avoided.
"I don't think we would even be in the area and responding at the levels that we were had we not received that call," Deason said.
Deason says their job in law enforcement is to help people and to call 911 if you need help because they will respond.