Tampering led to deputy’s car explosion

Thursday, October 28. 2010

An investigation into the cause of a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office propane-fueled car explosion was caused by “manual tampering” of a safety device on the vehicle and an improper manipulation of a fitting during maintenance, officials said Thursday. The department will continue to use the propane vehicles, they said.

Deputy Gary Cox was injured Oct. 25 when he lit a cigarette while driving down the road. Propane had leaked from the car’s unique fuel system and the vehicle burst into flames. Cox jumped from the vehicle while it was still in motion and suffered some burns from the incident.

An investigation after the incident said the problem was an isolated incident.

“This is definitely an isolated incident,” said John Franklin, senior engineer for equipment provider American Alternative Fuel (AAF). “The disengagement of the system’s safety features is something that all safety training moving forward will address emphatically. The good news is that the operator of the vehicle sustained only minor injuries, that the problem doesn't lie with the equipment or installation and that this problem is easily avoidable moving forward.”

AAF and Force 911 are working closely with the Jackson County Sheriff’s department to ensure all safety procedures are understood by deputies and mechanics alike to avoid accidents in the future.

"We appreciate the many benefits that these propane vehicles bring to our department and community," says Jackson County Sheriff Stan Evans. "We will continue to expand our fleet of clean propane vehicles, and will be putting in place more aggressive operator training and detailed safety precautions. We're so thankful that this incident caused no serious injuries. Propane is a safe, clean fuel - but it's got be respected, just like gasoline."

Officials said the accident was avoidable.

"Propane is a vehicle fuel that is just as safe to use as gasoline if the proper safety training is provided and followed," says AAF President Matt Sgambettera. "This is an example of a completely avoidable accident, and we are sincerely thankful that the vehicle operator had only minor injuries."

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#1 citizen concerned on 10/29/10 at 06:45 AM [Reply]

This is just another reason to not drive the vehicles home. I sometimes see them 2 counties away sitting at apartments or homes. Anybody can tamper with the cars there. I think it is time for the Commissioners to talk to the Sheriff and save this county over $250,000.00 each year by parking the cars at the jail. This poor Deputy could have got killed. Who's gonna pay for the $20,000 car?

#1.1 MS on 10/30/10 at 09:57 PM [Reply]

My husband worked for JCSO and they can not drive them home if they live out of the county. If you saw them out of county they were either driving to training or to pick up and inmate in another county.

#1.1.1 citizen concerned on 10/31/10 at 08:17 PM [Reply]

I'll snap you a picture and email it to you. Last I heard Clarke county in not in Jackson County. It actually was about 100 years ago. Actually the University of Ga was in Jackscon then also.

#1.1.2 Propane Concerned on 11/01/10 at 07:53 PM [Reply]

I worked at JCSO as well for several years and lived in another county. I was allowed to drive my county car home as did all other deputies assigned to patrol, investigations, or administrative positions.

#1.2 steve fabris on 11/01/10 at 04:47 PM [Reply]

I agree.. How many other people gets furnished a ride to and from work? kids school? day care? They should furnish their own transportation. Also how many can smoke at work? They should not be allowed to smoke while on duty or atleast not in the vehicle.

#1.3 jj on 11/02/10 at 07:29 PM [Reply]

cc you may need to take a look at your math again, for instance, if the deputy has a late call, they can go home from the call if needed , if you park the car, they would have to drive back to the s.o. therefore paying them more overtime, which would probably be more money in the long run.while the cars are assigned to them, the deputies are required to keep up with the maintenance for the car, if you park them and are not assigned to one deputy then who will take of the car,the thought process being if it is yours you will take care of it, thus leading to more mechanical problems, which in the long run would lead to shorter lifespan for the vehicle costing you the precious taxpayer more of your precious tax dollars that you work so hard for. if you will take time to check before you write you may want to check to see how many calls are answered by deputies on the way to work or on the way home, again response time is reduced, again costing you the precious taxpayer less money and maybe saving you or someone you love. but go ahead and try it your way, watch the quality of deputy begin to drop, along with morale, not to mention the quality of life that the citizens of this county has been able to enjoy.the ultimate decision to park the cars will be up to the sheriff and noone else, the county manager nor the county commissioners can make him do anything, he has been office alot longer than any other politican has been in this county, meaning he has made better decisions than most, he's a smart man, and he will make the right decision based on the people that he serves. god be with the deputies that serve and protect the not so grateful people of this great county. what do you say stan, give us a couple of more terms!!!

#1.3.1 concerned citizen on 11/05/10 at 05:58 PM [Reply]

JJ, Glad you enjoy those perks, and keep on running that mouth of how it benefits the citizen. Maybe some Democrat will finally believe you.

#1.4 miriam barrett on 11/09/10 at 05:24 PM [Reply]

with the non-smoking laws that have been forced upon every citizen in the United States "THE LAND OF THE FREE",by the government! May I ask why this officer was "smoking in a car purchased through Tax payers money? Also glad he was not seriously hurt. But, would this be a form of Governmental Double Standards???

#2 J W on 10/29/10 at 08:37 AM [Reply]

Double-check for policy in place: Most, legitimate, professional entities (especially, tax-payer supported governments) have a No Smoking in official vehicles policy. And he specifically should not have been lighting up while responding to official dispatch. That being said, this deputy is suffering consequences of his actions; therefore, no additional penalties should be imposed. Somebody needs to smooth over relations with insurance company(s) for vehicle, employees, and workers comp - as they could look to "violation of established guidelines" as an out for not paying claims.

#3 citizen concerned think please on 10/29/10 at 08:59 PM [Reply]

Taking the vehicle home had zero to do with it and cuts on call response time down.
Who does much of the maintenance of these vehicles ?
Why the county shop and who works in the county shop ?
Inmates ! Yup there saving us a bundle!

The fine citizens and tax payers of Jackson...reminds me of the sheep dog off the cartoons " which way did they go ! which way did they go!" Think people !

Oh and please post the line item of the budget where taking the vehicles home cost $250,000 ?
You can't because you pulled that number from thin air !

#3.1 citizen concerned on 10/31/10 at 08:24 PM [Reply]

Which car do you drive? How many times have you been called at home to respond? How many miles do you drive from home to the Jail each day? Multiply that # into 20 miles per gal of Propane. Then multiply that # times 60 cars a day, then multiply thath times 220(average word days in a year. What did you get?
Don't even think of throwing this back on the poor CI.
I think I see a whole lot of the JCSO cars parked at the Ford place in Jefferson. Correct?
You'd better think before getting your feathers up.

#4 what if on 10/29/10 at 11:39 PM [Reply]

What if there had been a person in the back seat? They couldn't have jumped out, they would have been handcuffed...the finger pointing would start but ultimately it would have been the county to pay and then the county would have to go after the others...this could have been bad, real bad! And now that it has happened once, it can't happen again. Wow what a liability.

#5 Beverly Blalock on 10/30/10 at 06:03 AM [Reply]

Have they questioned the trustees who are allowed to do maintenance work on these cars?

#6 Linefuse on 10/30/10 at 01:45 PM [Reply]

Thats what he gets for smoking in the government people. I bet hes overweight too. The Jackson County Sheriffs Dept is a joke.

#7 dave jackson on 10/30/10 at 02:27 PM [Reply]

#1 deputies has to go to court/training/and has responded to calls from home while off duty. Im never in favor of taken cars from officers "as long as they live in Jackson county" this benefits the tax payers along with the officers.
#2 inmates DO NOT WORK on the "vehicles from JCSO" it is done at the sheriffs fleet shop located behind the "old CID building"
the problem more than likely came from the shop
how much training was done about propane to officers/shop workers????
yes thank GOD no one was in rear seat at the time this happened.

#7.1 Rick on 10/31/10 at 07:02 PM [Reply]

I just dont understand how the whole thing happened!! It just amazing this officer had time to take his seat belt off jump form the car as it was going 55 mph and they say he only got 1st degree burns!!! Also did he not smell the propane inside the car!!??? You can smell propane just like gas fumes and I dont think this was not body from the shop doing something that caused it!!! I think there are more to it and no wants to admit it!! Maybe it did happen like the officer said and I hope it did but falling out of car at 55 mph and if he landed on the pavement would have caused more injuries than just 1st degree burns!! also where on Hwy 82 North did this happen I traveled the other day on hwy 82 from Jefferson to Maysville and also up Holly Springs Rd to the county line and did not see where a car had burned and went off the road , maybe it was raining and this would have probaly been why there wasnt no burn patterns on the road way , this car had to leave some burn patterns as hot as this car got just by looking at the pics!!! Again maybe it was raining that morning??? As for as what I said about him having more injuries from hitting the pavement , if you think about it the driver side would have been on the side where the pavement was at did he have time to undo his seat belt and steer the car to the other side of the roadway and jump out in the grass?? If so this maybe why he did not have any other injuries??? I hope it happened like he said it did not saying he is a bed person but some things do not add up!! Also the propane looks like blew since in the pic it looks like the trunk lid is off and they have it in the back of the car, more than likely the propane blew as soon as the flames hit the fumes because this would have sent the flame back to where the leak was at!! As someone said sure am glad no one was in that back seat they would have not made it because if I am right the only way to get out of the back seat inmate area is for the door to be opened from the outside.... If this happened like he said this officer has alot to be thankful for.. One last thing after the officer jumped out where did the car stop , it would be very hard to believe it stopped in the roadway it probaly left the road was any body damage done to the car other than from the fire?? Didnt look any on the driver side area not sure about the passenger side cant see it?? It does look like the hood is up on the hinge side but this was probaly done by the fire dept to extinguish fire under the hood?? Like I said something does not seem to add up... I am not pointing fingers or tryn to start a crazy fuss just a little curious after being a firefighter and studyn fire investigation courses....

#8 john on 11/01/10 at 07:53 PM [Reply]

First of all "Rick" I highly doubt you have had any formal training in arson or accidental fire investigations. But if you have it doesn't show from your post. Who are you and who are any of you to judge, second guess, or question what this deputy says happened. None of you were there and I'm pretty sure none of you have ever walked even a step in the shoes of a law enforcement officer. So go back to your 9-5 job or keep living off the government and your cozy little world you live in and the next time you need a cop for an emergency....second guess him after he shoots the guy trying kill your wife or child. All you people that bash law enforcement are ungrateful idiots. Never thank them when they do something good or heroic but bash them for everything else. Your grandparents and great grandparents would probably roll over in their graves if they knew how much hate and content you show towards law enforcement. People from their generation actually had respect for them. And oh yeah the deputy is not overweight, far from it actually. And take home cars are good for 2 reasons: 1) deputies can respond to calls on their way in and home from work(in case you didn't know we do not have enough deputies and at times this is needed and happens) 2) its a great selling point to potential hires because most of the agencies in the surrounding area offer this as a benefit. And let's not forget that deputies don't make very much money at all. So that take home car just sweetens the deal to put your life on the line everyday, deal with some really bad people, deal with the people that comment on here everyday, and work long hours and all for almost no appreciation.

#8.1 citizen concerned on 11/02/10 at 06:31 PM [Reply]

First of all WE HAVE PLENTY OF DEPUTIES. I see at leat 4 a day on my way to and from work. I appreciate what they do, believe me, but they cjose that type of work. I also see a car parked at Staghorn. I can't afford to live there.

#8.1.1 John Smith on 11/02/10 at 10:38 PM [Reply]

You obviously have no idea what your talking about. The Sheriff's Office is short handed. There are approximately 64,000 people in a county with 342 square miles. I bet there are less than 10 deputies per shift. In case you didn't know that means they are short handed. Oh yes the "they chose that type of work" argument. How original and clever. And you didn't chose it probably cause your too scared and don't have the heart, guts, thick skin, and brains to get the job done. What if nobody chose that work concerned citizen? You would be real concerned then when a meth head stole your car and assaulted your wife because there were no deputies to stop or prevent him from doing so. Lord knows you wouldn't intervene. Well you might call 911 but no one would be listening to your pathetic crying because all the law enforcement would be on strike. Most people wouldn't because they can't hold their mud. What if all law enforcement said "screw it" until people care and appreciated them more and got better pay and benefits like a county manager or Don Clerici? What would you say then concerned citizen? And those 4 deputies you saw were probably on their way in to work or leaving work moron. Oh yeah, the deputy in Staghorn. Well god forbid a dirt road deputy make good investments, get an inheritence from a family deceased family member, or be married to a spouse that gets paid what he or she is actually worth and makes good money. But you would never think of that with your small narrow mind. Like I said in my earlier post...you are all idiots! IDIOTS!

#8.1.1.1 concerned citizen on 11/05/10 at 05:49 PM [Reply]

Get a job. Noone made you take the job, DID they?

#8.1.1.2 concerned citizen on 11/05/10 at 06:02 PM [Reply]

John Smith where in the He-- did you get the 64,000 from. We should have called you and we would have saved a lot of money on the CENSUS. That is not the figure they came up with. I sure hope you can keep on raising the # up. Pretty soon we will be as large as Fulton County and will get a lot more money from the State.

#8.1.1.2.1 John Smith on 11/06/10 at 11:16 AM [Reply]

According to 2000 statistics we were around 42,000 and the 2009 census estimate put us at alomost 64,000. Check out the U.S. census bureau website. Its quickfacts.census.gov. Do you need help with that thingy will all the buttons on it? I can't even make a point because you are too stupid to understand it. What I said earlier was that your an idiot and couldn't do the job so don't bash law enforcement. You couldn't do the job...lets see how can I put this in layman's terms? Because you have never watched a John Wayne movie in your life meaning you don't have enough grit to handle law enforcement. Instead you sit at home and hide behind a computer screen and bash them. I bet your favorite color is yellow, your a democrat, and you probably don't believe in the death penalty, oh yeah and you would probably help an illegal alien across the border from Mexico. I mean I'm just assuming these things based on your level of intelligence. Next time you try to call me out please do some checking first.

#8.1.1.2.1.1 concerned citizen on 11/11/10 at 05:25 PM [Reply]

John Smith you obviously can't substract yourself. GO back to the site to referred me to and substract the citizens that live in the 4 towns that have a police departments. You will come up with 51,147, but of course you are not smart enough to do this, so ask your neighbor to help you with this.All you can do is run your mouth and inflate the numbers to suite yourself. Just like a Democrat to throw out Bogus info and expect folks to believe you know what you are talking about. I'll bet your 6 years in high school were very good to you.

#8.1.1.2.1.2 John Smith on 11/14/10 at 06:08 PM [Reply]

Concerned citizen just a fyi, there are 6 police departments in Jackson County. Let me list them for you. Jefferson, Commerce, Pendergrass, Maysville, Arcade, and Braselton. Back to my original point, your an idiot and its really frustrating when I have to argue with someone who is flat out dumb. If you knew anything about law enforcement, which apparently you dont, you would know that the Sheriff's Office is the County law enforcement. Which means that they answer calls for service and patrol even in the city limits at times. Maysville Pd and Pendergrass pd do not always have an officer on 24/7 and if I'm not mistaken neither does Arcade pd. Sheriff's deputies also have to back up city officers as well. So please please next time you respond get your head out of whatever sand box you have it in and think before you type. You have no idea what law enforcement do every day around the county, State, and country. This is really a waste of my time to even try to explain but I would hate to know someone read one of your uneducated post and believed it to be the truth. Oh yeah, I'm a die hard Republican. And before you make a comment about my education get someone to proof read your post ok. Thanks and have a nice day.

#8.1.2 Wifey on 11/04/10 at 08:58 PM [Reply]

Assuming that you can read, look closely next time you pass Staghorn and you'll see that the car sitting there is from Oconee County you moron. I thank the JCSO deputies for all that they do.

#8.1.2.1 concerned taxpayer on 11/05/10 at 05:54 PM [Reply]

Wifey, You are the moron. Are you saying no deputies live in Staghorn? Check your facts before you run that pie hole.

#8.1.2.2 concerned taxpayer on 11/05/10 at 05:54 PM [Reply]

Wifey, You are the moron. Are you saying no deputies live in Staghorn? Check your facts before you run that pie hole.

#9 whatever on 11/03/10 at 07:07 AM [Reply]

It's His fault?? I beleive this was an accident. Sad, costly, and scary, but not the officers fault. If every smoking cop, paramedic, fire fighter, stopped what they were doing to take a break- which by the way they don't get timed out breaks like the rest of us since they are ALWAYS ready to go- you people would be on here saying how you're paying these guys to stand around. His smoking does not effect his ability to serve and protect. Go find some real problems.

#9.1 Michael McCarthy on 11/17/10 at 05:15 PM [Reply]

Federal labor laws state specifically that breaks must be given. If breaks aren't given then someone is liable for a lawsuit.

There are no exceptions to these laws.

Also I would like to take exception with the concept police prevent crime. Obviously they do occasionally but the vast majority of the time police simply arrest someone after they commit a crime. Very few crimes can actually be prevented. And do we really want so much government that they're watching everyones moves so to detect a crime immediately?

Protection is up to the citizens under the 2nd amendment. Buy a gun and "prevent" crimes. No 911 call is as fast as your own defense. If everyone did this we could do with a lot less police officers. We might need less prosecutors and judges as well. Oh, don't forget, smaller jails too.

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Tampering led to deputy’s car explosion

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