Cobb County

Driver convicted of DUI crash that killed Smyrna police officer

SMYRNA, Ga. — The man accused of causing a crash that killed an on-duty police officer in 2020 has been found guilty, the Cobb County District Attorney announced Thursday.

Smyrna Police Officer Christopher Ewing, 34, was working traffic enforcement in April 2020 when he spotted a speeding driver going down South Cobb Drive. While trying to catch up to the driver, a Chevrolet Tahoe tried making a left-hand turn in front of the police car.

Prosecutors say Ewing tried avoiding the crash, but was not able to. The impact sent Ewing’s police car into the parking lot of a BP gas station. He suffered internal injuries during the crash and later died from his injuries.

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Georgia State Patrol troopers interviewed the driver, 35-year-old Robert Cox, on the scene of the crash and determined he was under the influence of alcohol.

Channel 2 Action News has been following the case since the tragic crash.

According to an arrest warrant, Cox threw away two 16 oz. Corona beer bottles that police described as cold to the touch.

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Ewing served in the U.S. Air Force for 10 years before joining the Smyrna Police Department, where he worked for two years. He left behind a wife and three children. Just before the crash, Ewing had received a life-saving award and applied to be a member of the DUI task force, according to then-Police Chief Joseph Bennett.

During the trial, prosecutors showed dash camera footage of the crash from Ewing’s patrol car, as well as surveillance footage from the gas station.

The jury found Cox guilty on four out of five charges, including vehicular homicide and other traffic offenses.

Cox was out on bond, but was taken into custody after the trial. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for next month.

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