VALDOSTA — Police arrested a man Wednesday in a December hit-and-run incident that killed a Valdosta High School football player.
Logan Garrett Jones, 35, of Valdosta was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, driving hit-and-run resulting in serious injury, too fast for conditions and reckless driving, a police statement said Friday.
At about 6:15 p.m. Dec. 9, Samuel Johnson, 16, of Valdosta was walking in the 3900 block of Inner Perimeter Road when he tried to help an injured dog hit by an unknown car; Johnson was then struck and killed by a second vehicle, a Valdosta Police Department statement said. The car that hit Johnson did not stop, police said.
Another person stopped when she saw a dead dog, and while checking on the animal she saw Johnson lying in the grass with a second injured dog. She called E911, and police, firefighters and EMTs responded, but the teen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation showed that the offending vehicle was a dark-colored Dodge Charger with a model year between 2011-2014, the police statement said. The driver of the car came to the police department and cooperated with authorities, police said.
He was taken into custody at his home and taken to the Lowndes County Jail, the statement said.
City school board personnel confirmed Johnson was a player for the VHS Wildcats.
Anyone with information about this case should contact the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department.