Police Officer James Christopher Magill, Sr.

James Christopher Magill, Sr.

Police Officer James Magill was struck and killed by a drunk driver on I-85, south of Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

He was parked on the shoulder of the highway waiting for a tow truck to impound another vehicle whose driver had just been arrested for DUI. Another vehicle suddenly crossed three lanes of traffic and struck his patrol Ford Mustang, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.

The 30-year-old driver who struck him had three previous DUI convictions. His blood alcohol level was 0.28. He was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Officer Magill had served with the Gwinnett County Police Department for 10 years and was assigned to the DUI Task Force. He was survived by his parents, daughter, and son. In 1995 the bridge on Jimmy Carter Boulevard over I-85 was named in his honer.