Published Friday, January 27, 2012

I-85 hit-and-run incident in hands of jury

The Newnan Times-Herald

A Coweta County State Court jury began deliberations Thursday in a case involving a truck driver charged in a hit-and-run on Interstate 85 that injured a sheriff's deputy.

A verdict in the three-day trial that began this week was expected late Thursday or today.

The driver of the 18-wheeler, Michael Ray Derossett, 36, of Bluefield, West Va., faces multiple charges including DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

The incident occurred October 2010 as Deputy Jeff Bugg of the Coweta County Sheriff's Office was performing a traffic stop on northbound Interstate 85. As Bugg returned to his vehicle, it and the other vehicle were sideswiped by the 18-wheeler.

Both cars were damaged and Bugg was thrown to the road shoulder by the impact. Derossett did not stop and kept traveling northbound, authorities said at the time.

Bugg radioed in a description of the 18-wheeler and its direction of travel.

Several motorists called to report the accident and one reported seeing Derossett drove his vehicle off the interstate at exit 41 near Moreland and pulled around to the back of the Pilot Truck Stop located at that exit, according to authorities at the time.

Derossett, 36, was found minutes after the incident and arrested.

Derossett was charged with DUI-drugs, leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death, failure to move when approaching an emergency vehicle, failure to maintain lane, and being in possession of prescription drugs not in the original container.

Deputy Bugg was able to drive his vehicle away from the scene and was later checked out by physicians.

He was not seriously injured.