A Georgia State trooper died in the line of duty on Tuesday after a vehicle struck him as he investigated a crash on Interstate 75, authorities said.
Trooper First Class Chase Redner was struck on I-75 North near Mt. Zion Boulevard in Clayton County, the Georgia Department of Public Safety said. He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died.
Redner was investigating a fatal accident involving a construction worker that had occurred in the area just hours earlier, FOX5 Atlanta reported.
It was unclear whether the driver of the vehicle that struck Redner would be charged. The Troop C Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is investigating the crash.
Trooper Chase Redner served the Georgia Department of Public Safety since 2017. (Georgia Department of Public Safety )
Gov. Brian Kemp said that he and his family were “devastated” by Redner’s “sudden and tragic passing.”
“As the second state patrolman to die in the line of duty in less than a month, our hearts are broken for his mother and fiancée, for his friends and community, and for the entire Department of Public Safety family,” Kemp’s post on X read. “This is an incredibly painful time for their elite ranks, and we ask that all Georgians – and those far beyond our state – pray for Trooper Redner’s family, loved ones, and colleagues.”
In this photo posted to the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s X account in November 2021, Trooper Chase Redner is seen conducting a traffic stop on State Route 400 in Dawson County. (Georgia Department of Public Safety )
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Redner, who has served the Georgia Department of Public Safety since September 2017, is the second Georgia State trooper to die in recent weeks.
Trooper Jimmy Cenescar died after his cruiser left Interstate 85 on Jan. 28 and struck an embankment in the north Atlanta suburb of Suwanee. The Georgia Department of Public Safety said Cenescar was trying to stop a motorcycle for a traffic violation before it fled, prompting the trooper to give chase.
The motorcyclist, identified as Gerson Ayala Rodriguez, was later arrested and charged with felony murder, first-degree homicide, felony fleeing and attempting to elude and reckless driving. He was denied bond.
