Washington Sheriff's Office Hosts Benefit Luncheon for Hospitalized Deputy

SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (WJBF) – The Washington County Sheriff's Office is raising money to help a deputy hospitalized after a car accident while on duty.

Just three weeks ago, Deputy Gordon Alley was responding to a call for help from another deputy in a vehicle pursuit.

But according to Sheriff's Office Chaplain Scott Ferguson, he ran into a problem along the way.

“There was water on the road simply from a rapid torrential rain, which caused the car to hydroplane, causing the accident,” Ferguson said.

Authorities say Alley's vehicle slid off the roadway and the passenger side struck a tree.

He was initially taken to Washington County Regional Medical Center for his injuries before being transferred to Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta.

He is currently at the Shepherd Spine Center in Atlanta, where he is partially paralyzed from the waist down, while suffering from broken ribs and a broken collarbone.

Lt. Darrell Usry has worked with him for 15 years.

“When we got the call, we didn’t know it was this serious. We just got a call that he had been in an accident, and there were other things going on at the time,” Usry said. “So once we got there and learned the extent of the injuries once we got to the hospital, it was a shock. It's very hard. »

The Sheriff's Office and Sandersville Community Church are coming together for a charity luncheon, collecting donations that will help pay mounting medical bills.

“He still gets paid for his work, but he can’t take on special jobs to earn the extra money to make ends meet, so we’ll be happy to help him,” Usry said.

“It’s great to see a community that cares about our officers who are out in the field every day, risking their lives,” Ferguson said.

Officers say it's also the least they can do for a brother and friend.

“He is a tremendous asset to our law enforcement, a wonderful and caring person not only for his job, but also for his family. He is raising his 12 year old daughter and doing a fantastic job in both areas. It’s difficult to balance being a police officer and a parent,” Ferguson said.

“He’s very reliable, he works whenever you call him, he does whatever you ask him to do,” Usry said. “He goes out and helps the community, does whatever he can – he’s an overall good guy.”

Sheriff Joel Cochran was unable to attend the charity luncheon, but made this statement:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our deputy and his family during this difficult time. We are grateful for the speed and professionalism of our firefighters and medical personnel. The safety and well-being of our deputies is of the utmost importance, and we will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.

Georgia State Police are investigating the crash. Further details will be provided as new information becomes available.

The Sheriff's Office also continues to need the community's help to support Deputy Gordon Alley.

If you would like to make a donation to support the Alley family, you can drop them off at the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

They can also be made to Deputy Chief Mark McGraw at CASHAPP-$deputymcgraw or via Venmo– @wcso435.