Georgia High School Athlete Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver After Stopping To Assist Injured Dog

While trying to rescue the injured dog, Samuel Johnson Jr. was struck and killed by a vehicle traveling through the area

In Georgia, a high school football player was killed in a hit-and-run accident after going to check on a wounded dog.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Samuel Johnson Jr., who resided in Valdosta, was killed on Saturday, Dec. 9, as he tended to an injured animal and was struck by a vehicle that didn’t stop after hitting the teenager. The 16-year-old played on the local high school football team. Valdosta High School confirmed the news and offered condolences to his family on social media.

“It is with a heavy heart that we ask you to pray for the family of Sam Johnson, Jr. We mourn the loss of a student-athlete who was involved in a deadly accident last night. While we don’t know the details, we are heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. Rest in Peace, Sam 🥺”

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The Valdosta Police Department stated on its Facebook page that another concerned person also saw a deceased dog and went to check on it, and that’s when she discovered Johnson lying in the grass median next to the injured dog. After calling 911, emergency personnel, Valdosta Police Officers, and Valdosta Firefighters arrived at the scene but were unable to revive him and pronounced Johnson deceased at the scene.

A statement was released from the Valdosta Police Department:

“On Saturday, December 9, 2023, at approximately 6:15 p.m., a 16-year-old male, Samuel Johnson, Jr., was walking in the 3900 block of Inner Perimeter Road. Johnson saw a dog that had been hit by an unknown vehicle, so he went to assist the injured dog. While trying to rescue the injured dog, Johnson was struck and killed by a second vehicle traveling through the area. The vehicle that struck Johnson did not stop.”

After requesting assistance from the public to help identify the driver who struck Johnson, the Valdosta Police Department announced that they had found the person who hit the high school athlete. Police officials have taken the vehicle and stated that the unidentified driver had “fully cooperated” with the investigation of the incident.

Fox 5 reported that there is a memorial service planned for the teenager that will take place on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. at Perimeter Road Baptist Church. He will be buried in a cemetery in Lowndes County.