This week, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office sent out one of the briefest press releases that’s ever come from that office. Here it is in its entirety: “Sheriff Danny H. Rogers reports that on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., an employee of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a vehicle collision with a pedestrian on US Highway 29, just north of Cone Boulevard. The Greensboro Police Department is leading the investigation into this incident. There is no further information to share.”
On the day following that release, November 21, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office sent out an update – that the employee was driving a county-owned vehicle from a Sheriff’s Office facility and was headed home from work for the evening.
The release also stated that the sheriff’s employee was issued the vehicle “in connection with his official duties and was authorized by both the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office and County policy to use the vehicle to transport himself to and from work.”
The press release also noted that the Sheriff’s Department employee wasn’t injured.
It did not, however, mention that the pedestrian who had been it had been killed. It simply stated that “The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office employee has cooperated in the investigation” and added that any questions should be directed to the Greensboro Police Department since that’s the department that’s now handling the independent investigation of the accident.
The Greensboro Police Department fortunately did provide some specifics on the traffic fatality on US 29.
“On Nov. 20, 2024, at approximately 5:07 p.m.,” it read. “Greensboro Police responded to US 29 North near McKnight Mill Road in reference to a crash involving a pedestrian.
It added, “A 2011 Ford Edge registered to Guilford County (and assigned to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office) was traveling north on US 29 North when a pedestrian, Mr. James Owens, 58, of Greensboro, entered the roadway in front of the Edge.”
Tragically, Owens died at the scene from the injuries he sustained from the crash.
The Greensboro Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit is currently conducting an investigation and the department’s findings will be published in a crash report at a later date.
Greensboro Police are now asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Citizens may also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or they can go to P3tips.com to submit a tip on the web.
The Police Department states that all tips to Crime Stoppers are completely anonymous.
A tragedy, that probably couldn’t have been avoided, unless the person had used the overhead bridge to safely cross. There again, Sheriff Rogers only lets out the minimum amount of information. Like his response to his last two “Jail Escapes” oh, I mean “Improper Releases” he didn’t want to provide any information as it may compromise the Investigaton. There is no Transparency under his watch. Guilford County will do better. Everything that has happened on his watch will be made aware to the voters for 2026.
Why was a pedestrian on US29? So it is OK for an employee to use a govt vehicle to drive home? GPD is not allowed to.
I’m curious as to what does this office person do that is so valuable to the sheriffs dept that they have a county issued car to drive back and forth to work at TAXPAYERS expense. Can someone please enlighten us.
What does this sentence mean, what word is missing?
“It did not, however, mention that the pedestrian who had been it had been killed.”?
Is it “…who had been hit had been killed.”
Or “…who had been in it had been killed.”
Thanks. dg
Hit
My heart goes out to all involved in this terrible accident.
I’m just curious to what speed was he going to, cause it was a 2011 Ford Edge that hit and killed him, when I saw the jeep the hood was smashed in the windshield was busted. and his body ended up under the car, he didn’t even weigh 175 pounds, and no skid marks was on the highway, i’m just curious, and sad