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SAVANNAH, GA (May 25, 2018) – Today Savannah Police Officer Anthony Christie, 37, was fatally wounded after his patrol car was struck by a tractor trailer on Interstate 16.
Christie, a decorated war veteran, has served with Savannah Police Department since December 2015 and was officially sworn in on May 19, 2016. He was assigned to the Central Precinct. He, along with other officers, was awarded a Team Work Award for assisting in the search and rescue of a missing child who was abandoned in the woods by a robbery suspect in 2016. Prior to his law enforcement career, Christie served his country for 13 years in the Navy as a Master-at-Arms Second Class in the 4th Fleet and remains a reservist. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.
“Officer Christie was doing what many of our officers do every day when he was tragically struck this morning,” said Chief Mark Revenew. “We know policing is a dangerous job, but that doesn’t make incidents like this any less heartbreaking for our community, our department and the entire blue family.”
About 2:30 a.m. SPD officers responded to a head-on collision on eastbound Interstate-16 at Dean Forest Road that was the result of a vehicle traveling the wrong way. The crash resulted in the closure of eastbound lanes while officers and our Traffic Investigation Unit managed the scene.
Officer Christie and multiple other SPD officers responded to the scene to assist with traffic control. Officer Christie was parked in his patrol car with lights activated in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 16 to divert traffic off of the interstate onto Dean Forest when a tractor trailer struck the side of his vehicle, resulting in critical injuries to the officer. He later succumbed to those injuries.
The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is conducting the investigation of this crash.
Chaplains and EAP will be providing support to officers, family, friends and co-workers in the wake of this incident.
“This is a difficult time for SPD and the Christie family. We ask that the media be respectful of the family’s privacy as we all mourn this unexpected loss,” Revenew said.
Officer Christie is survived by his wife Nicole.
Savannah Police Department would like to thank area agencies and community partners for the outpouring of support since the incident occurred.
Arrangements will be announced as they become available.
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