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23-year-old officer dies in crash with tractor-trailer on drive home, Georgia cops say

Savannah police officer Reginald Brannan, 23, was killed when his car collided with a tractor-trailer on his way home on Monday, Aug. 29, the police department said.
Savannah police officer Reginald Brannan, 23, was killed when his car collided with a tractor-trailer on his way home on Monday, Aug. 29, the police department said. Photo by the Savannah Police Department

A coastal Georgia community is mourning the loss of an officer killed in an early morning car crash.

Officer Reginald Brannan, 23, was heading home from work on Monday, Aug. 29, when his car collided with a tractor-trailer on Highway 21 in Garden City, according to the Savannah Police Department. The crash happened just before midnight.

Brannan, who worked in the Northwest Precinct, died from his injuries, authorities said. He joined the department in December 2020.

“Our hearts are broken over the sudden and tragic loss of Officer Brannan,” Chief Lenny Gunther said in a statement. “He was a young officer just starting his career.”

“We ask everyone to keep his family, friends and the SPD family in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of this member of our SPD family,” Gunther said.

Members of the community posted tributes to the beloved officer online. Staff at the Chick-fil-A in Pooler said Brannan would stop by the drive-thru for breakfast “nearly every morning.”

“He always brought a smile, joy and words of encouragement to our team,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook. “We will dearly miss you!”

Authorities released few other details about the crash or what caused it. Georgia State Patrol is investigating.

Garden City is fewer than 10 miles northwest of downtown Savannah.

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This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 1:33 PM with the headline "23-year-old officer dies in crash with tractor-trailer on drive home, Georgia cops say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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