SRO Injured Directing School Traffic, Driver Faces Charges

Jackson County Sheriff Mangum implores drivers to be careful after a deputy was struck and injured by an SUV while directing school trafficPhoto byJackson County Sheriff's Office/Facebook

A Jackson County School Resource Officer (SRO) is recovering from injuries he sustained when a vehicle hit him on the first day of school, according to a statement from the county sheriff.

SRO Drew Archer was directing school traffic Thursday outside Gum Springs Elementary School in Jefferson when, according to the Georgia State Patrol, a Toyota RAV4 struck him.

“Scary times for us when we hear that call,” said Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum in a livestream about the incident later that afternoon. “Not sure what happened that he couldn’t be seen. The car was in the road, blue lights were on, and he’s directing traffic.”

According to GSP’s preliminary crash investigation, Archer sustained minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

Driver faces charges

Flanked by other SROs, Sheriff Mangum used the livestream to encourage drivers “to be mindful, be cautious, and slow down.”

“Nothing is that important that you have to be that neglectful and risk the lives of some innocent person, especially our deputy sheriff’s that are school resource officers that get out in that road that is so dangerous to direct this traffic to try to get ’em [vehicles] in and out.”

Mangum urged drivers to watch for kids waiting on school buses and reminded them not to drive around school bus arms “because we have reports of that every year.”

Directly addressing the injured SRO, Mangum said, “Deputy Drew Archer, we’re praying for you, buddy, that you make a full recovery.”

Troopers from GSP Post 32 in Athens investigated the crash. That investigation is still ongoing, says GSP Public Information Director Capt. Michael Burns. He says charges are pending against the Toyota driver. Burns did not release the driver’s name.

“We’re very blessed this deputy has not got any serious serious injuries,” Sheriff Mangum said. “He’s hurt. He went to the hospital. Praise God he got to go home today.”