DeKalb County

20-year-old jailer killed in crash on way home from work

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — A 20-year-old man who had just started a new job with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office was killed in a crash on his way home from work.

Christopher Phillips was a Fulton County jailer who had only been on the job for six months.

Investigators said Phillips had just gotten off work at the Fulton County Jail Tuesday afternoon. He was driving south on Old National Highway, right before Pleasant Hill Road when he veered off the roadway, lost control and hit a brick wall.

He died at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes spoke to a witness who saw the crash.

“Everybody ran out of the building. There was some people next door that ran out. We tried to see if we could help but it was just too late,” Michael Edwards said.

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Fernandes requested the incident report from South Fulton police. They told her the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson released a statement that said: “Officer Christopher Phillips was a new employee with great potential who quickly made a positive impression on his academy instructors, classmates and coworkers. He had barely been on the job six months. Christopher was an outstanding young man and we are deeply saddened by his loss.”

The Phillips family held Christopher’s memorial service on Monday morning.

His grandfather, John Phillips, said Chris was the best grandson anyone could have. He always wanted to be a law enforcement officer and he always cared for others.

“He was my go-to person. He made sure he checked on me and his grandmother because we both – our health isn’t the best – and he done everything he could,” John Phillips said.