Fort Benning soldier charged with homicide by vehicle in Oglethorpe Bridge collision

On the same day soldiers held a memorial service for Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Roy Morgan, Columbus police charged a fellow Fort Benning soldier with homicide by vehicle in the collision that killed Morgan on the Oglethorpe Bridge.

Justin Prohaska, 26, was taken into custody at 8 a.m. Friday at the Public Safety Center. In addition to the homicide by vehicle charge, Prohaska also faces one count each of following too closely and failure to maintain lane in the crash. He was released from the Muscogee County Jail after posting bonds totaling more than $3,500.

In a report, police said Prohaska was the driver of the vehicle that struck a green 1978 Jeep CJ7 driven by Morgan near Fourth Street. The 10:30 a.m. Tuesday crash sent Morgan’s vehicle over the bridge rail and hurled him from it.

An investigation into the crash indicated that Morgan was traveling west on the bridge into Phenix City when he noticed a red pickup stalled ahead of him in the left lane. To avoid the vehicle, he switched to the right lane.

Next to the vehicle, a man was directing drivers to slow down to avoid the truck. Prohaska was traveling behind Morgan in a white 2014 Jeep Wrangler before Morgan changed lanes. Prohaska told police that he thought Morgan was just moving over until he noticed the man signaling for him to move over.

Prohaska said he slammed on his brakes and swerved to the right to change lanes to avoid striking the stalled truck. His vehicle then struck the left rear end of the green Jeep, which caused the Jeep to careen over the bridge, police said.

Morgan’s Jeep was suspended 50-60 feet below the Oglethorpe Bridge and held by trees above the Chattahoochee River. Morgan was thrown from the vehicle and fell onto the Phenix City side of the riverbank. The suspended vehicle was cut from the trees before it landed on the Alabama riverbank. It was pulled to the top of the bridge and loaded onto a wrecker.

A standing room only memorial service was held Friday afternoon for Morgan at the Main Post Chapel. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 47 Infantry Regiment remembered him as a caring soldier, father and grandfather.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Fort Benning soldier charged with homicide by vehicle in Oglethorpe Bridge collision."