SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. — The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own.
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Deputy Joe Crumpton died following a motor vehicle accident on Tuesday after going into cardiac arrest while on duty, the sheriff’s office announced.
Officials said around 5:15 p.m., Crumpton was found unconscious by a witness from Fayette County Emergency Services. Despite efforts by first responders and medical staff at Fayette Piedmont Hospital, Crumpton passed away.
Sheriff Darrell Dix stated that witnesses believed Deputy Crumpton experienced a medical event before the accident.
“Witnesses that were interviewed at the scene of the accident by GSP and Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies said that based on what they saw, Deputy Crumpton appeared to have had some type of medical event before striking the other vehicle and leaving the roadway.”
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Deputy Crumpton, 62, was married to Rose Crumpton and had seven children.
He had been employed at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office since May 2023 and was assigned to the Detention Division as a Transport Officer.
According to officials, both Deputy Crumpton and his wife were U.S. Army veterans.
There were no injuries reported in the second vehicle involved in the accident, and Dix clarified that there was no car chase involved in the incident.
Deputy Crumpton’s body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Funeral service details for Crumpton will be announced once available, and the community continues to offer prayers and support for his family and colleagues.
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