TAYLOR
By William Moore
Daily Journal
TUPELO – A Lee County Sheriff’s deputy who was struck by a car at a Saturday night safety checkpoint is recovering at home.
“He has had several doctor’s appointments and they have put him on home rest,” said Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson. “He suffered some injuries to his back. They feel that with rest and rehab, he will make a full recovery.”
Deputies had set up a safety checkpoint on Highway 371 in Mooreville on Saturday night.
According to Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Ray Hall, Audonus D. Taylor, 25, of Fulton, was traveling northbound in a 2004 Chevrolet 1500 pickup. He approached the checkpoint but failed to stop for officers, and his vehicle struck one of the deputies. Taylor was uninjured in the crash. He was arrested by MHP troopers and charged with DUI.
The case remains under investigation. Other charges could be added when the case is presented to the grand jury.
“We were running a safety checkpoint and were set up and checking driver’s licenses,” said Johnson. “The deputies were talking to one individual who had stopped. It was that driver who noticed the other vehicle approaching at a good rate of speed. He actually told the officers to look out.”
When the deputy turned, he was struck by Taylor’s pickup. A second deputy was grazed by the truck as well.
“Thankfully, the guy did come to a stop and didn’t try to run,” said Johnson.
On his Facebook page, Taylor said the reason he hit the officer was because the brakes on his truck failed.