A legal storm is bearing down on Meriwether County's sheriff, Chuck Smith, who has been caught up in a civil lawsuit following a fatal accident involving a deputy from his office. According to a report from FOX 5 Atlanta, the family of 61-year-old Ronald Moreland alleges that negligence and wrongful death are on the sheriff's hands after the incident on Highway 85 near Senoia.
The lawsuit pinpoints the fateful day in April last year when Moreland was struck trying to make a left turn. An over-speeding deputy, en route to work without emergency lights, reportedly hit his vehicle with lethal consequences. Cited by 11Alive, Harry Daniels, representing Moreland's widow, stated, "He killed a good man as a result."
Adding to the case's complexities, dashcam footage provided by Moreland's legal team supposedly substantiates that the deputy's velocity was 22 miles above the speed limit. Concurrently, a Georgia State Patrol report illuminated by 11Alive mentioned a crucial detail claiming Moreland failed to yield, which purportedly triggered the collision. Despite this, the attorneys for Moreland's family argue the deputy's speeding was a significant contributing factor to the crash's severity.
In the aftermath of the incident, Moreland succumbed to his injuries at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. Reinforcing the lawsuit's claims, the family's lawyers highlight the trooper's speed registered at 67 miles per hour on the dashcam footage, exceeding the area's 55 miles per hour limit. Notwithstanding the burgeoning legal proceedings, the Meriwether Sheriff's Office has yet to be officially served, indicating no further comments, attributed to the office by FOX 5 Atlanta.
As the case proceeds, Moreland's family continues to push for accountability, while the sheriff's department remains tight-lipped pending the litigation.
