Off-duty officer fatally strikes man with police car while heading into work, officials say

A 69-year-old man is dead after being struck by an off-duty police officer in Columbus Tuesday, police say.

At 10:45 p.m. Nov. 12, an unnamed, off-duty officer hit Lester Holloway while traveling southbound on Illges Road in Columbus. The officer was driving his marked police car into work to begin his shift, according to the Columbus Police Department.

The officer struck Holloway in the right lane. At the time of the incident, the road conditions were dry with light traffic, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) Public Information Office.

Holloway was transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional where he later dies of his injuries. His family has been notified of his death, according to Columbus Police Department and DPS.

The incident has been turned over to the Georgia State Patrol for further investigation. It is unknown at this time whether the officer involved will be placed on leave, according to DPS.

The Governors Highway Safety Administration says pedestrian nighttime fatalities from 2008 to 2017 jumped 45% nationwide as daytime deaths grew 11%.

For more on Columbus pedestrian fatalities this year and local trends, read our analysis.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 11:40 AM.