Crawford County Sheriff's Office, Georgia
End of Watch: Friday, March 2, 2001
Age: 53
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Badge Number: 303
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: March 2, 2001
Weapon Used: Person
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff Samuel Smith suffered a fatal heart attack following a struggle with a drunk driving suspect.
When Deputy Smith and another deputy were making the arrest, Deputy Smith complained of being short of breath. As Deputy Smith and the other deputy began to drive back to the jail in separate patrol cars, Deputy Smith's vehicle left the roadway on Georgia 42 near Mathews Road. The other deputy turned around, called for assistance, and began life-saving efforts. Deputy Smith was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Deputy Smith had served with the Crawford County Sheriff's Department for 11 years and had previously served with the Roberta Police Department.