A veteran South Fulton Police lieutenant was killed in a head-on crash while in the line of duty, officials said Wednesday.
Lt. Helio Garcia was a founding member of the South Fulton Police Department and a longtime officer whose passing left the agency and the entire community in grief.
“In the 39 years I’ve been doing this job, I’ve lost a lot of friends in the line of duty. And certainly none hits harder than this one to me, simply because Helio meant a great deal to me as a leader in this organization,” said SF Police Chief Keith Meadows.
Garcia was reportedly traveling in a department-issued vehicle when he crashed head-on into a 2016 Infiniti QX70 at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Investigators said that the Infiniti, driven by 31-year-old Santoria McLean, veered into the lieutenant’s lane for unknown reasons.
Garcia died early Wednesday morning. McLean is still hospitalized in serious condition and will likely face charges once released from the hospital.
“When you see something tragic like this, especially when it can be prevented, it certainly hits us hard,” Meadows added.
