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Brian Z. Heath

Age : 28

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 08/26/2022

Location : Old Savannah Road near Roselle Street

City : Augusta

County : Richmond

State : Georgia

Agency : Richmond County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Third party killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/26/2022, 28-year-old Brian Z. Heath of Aiken, South Carolina, was killed when a Chrysler 300 being pursued by Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputies crossed into his lane and struck his Nissan Versa head-on on Old Savannah Road near Roselle Street in Augusta. Heath was an uninvolved driver returning from work and had no connection to the police pursuit.
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The pursuit began at approximately 7:40 p.m. when a Richmond County deputy attempted to stop the Chrysler at East Boundary and East Walker streets for failure to maintain lane, a misdemeanor traffic offense. The driver continued driving away while the deputy pursued. The Chrysler reached speeds exceeding 100 mph.
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Records associated with the case listed additional traffic offenses including driving too fast for conditions, an open-container violation, failure to wear a seat belt, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, an expired tag, failure to provide proof of insurance and driving under the influence. The immediate reason reported for the deputy's attempted stop, however, was failure to maintain lane.
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The pursuit continued along Old Savannah Road. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the Chrysler vaulted over a railroad crossing near Roselle Street, causing the driver to lose control. The Chrysler crossed into the opposite lane and struck Heath’s Nissan Versa head-on.
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The collision caused extensive damage and trapped Heath inside his vehicle. Emergency personnel extricated him, but Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen pronounced him dead at the scene at 9:40 p.m. The driver of the pursued Chrysler suffered serious injuries and was transported to Augusta University Medical Center.
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Because Heath was an uninvolved bystander, the pursued driver's identity is omitted from this report. Authorities later charged the driver with murder, homicide by vehicle, fleeing police, DUI and multiple traffic offenses. Investigators reported finding opened beer cans in the Chrysler, and authorities said the driver admitted consuming alcohol and marijuana before driving.
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Heath’s sisters questioned why deputies continued a pursuit at more than 100 mph over what began as a traffic stop. One sister specifically raised concerns about police continuing the pursuit while oncoming motorists were using the narrow roadway. Because the fatal crash occurred during a police pursuit, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office asked the Georgia State Patrol to conduct an independent crash investigation.
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The case also prompted scrutiny of Richmond County’s pursuit policy. Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council official Chris Harvey explained that officers engaged in pursuits must exercise due regard for public safety and illustrated the principle by noting that extreme-speed pursuit would not be justified for a trivial underlying violation. Richmond County policy left the decision to initiate a pursuit to the individual deputy.
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Heath had just gotten off work at Kimberly-Clark and was driving in Augusta when the pursued vehicle entered his lane. His family described him as a loving brother and uncle. His obituary identifies his full name as Brian Z. Heath and confirms that he died at age 28 on 08/26/2022.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
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The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputy who initiated the pursuit and the other deputies who participated were not identified in the public records located.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/news/crime/aiken-man-killed-in-richmond-county-high-speed-chase-augusta-man-charged-with-murder/article_cb758d98-27cd-11ed-9922-0716ea2295bf.html
https://www.wrdw.com/2022/08/27/high-speed-chase-results-two-vehicle-collision/
https://www.wrdw.com/2022/08/29/1-driver-dead-1-jail-family-mourning-after-augusta-chase/
https://augustacrime.com/murder-charge-augusta-felon-was-drunk-high-during-deadly-police-pursuit/
https://augustacrime.com/sisters-of-innocent-driver-killed-in-deadly-augusta-pursuit-call-for-justice/
https://obits.postandcourier.com/us/obituaries/aikenstandard/name/brian-heath-obituary?id=36381325