Cherokee County

Retired police officer hit by tractor-trailer during funeral procession

Retired police officer hit by tractor-trailer during funeral procession

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A retired DeKalb County police officer is in a hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a tractor-trailer during a funeral procession, officials said.

The wreck is causing traffic woes on a major Cherokee County roadway as authorities investigate.

The crash happened Tuesday at the entrance of the Georgia National Cemetery on Knox Bridge Highway in Canton, the Cherokee sheriff's office said in a statement on Twitter.

The officer assists with funeral escorts to the National Cemetery, Cherokee sheriff's spokesman Capt. Jay Baker said. He was on his personal motorcycle assisting with an escort when a tractor-trailer crashed into him. He was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, Baker said.

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The road is closed while authorities work to clear the wreck. The sheriff's office encouraged drivers to avoid the area if possible.

The wreck and subsequent road closure is causing bus delays as schools are dismissed in the area, the Cherokee County School District said in an alert to parents.

At Knox Elementary School STEM Academy, routes 141, 179, 452 and 485 are being rerouted. Routes 96, 110, 476 and 533 at Teasley Middle School and Cherokee High School are also being rerouted.

The delays could add more than 30 minutes to afternoon commutes from school. The school district said it will provide water bottles to children without water.