Hundreds of family, friends and fellow law enforcement officers gathered Tuesday at First Baptist Church of Pembroke to mourn the loss of Bryan County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Robert “Bobby” Crapse.
Crapse, 32, was killed early Friday in a head-on collision with a car going the wrong way on I-95.
Following the service at the church, Crapse’s casket, draped in an American flag, was pulled by a horse-drawn carriage to Northside Cemetery. The procession was led by a single bagpipe player while uniformed officers marched ahead of and behind the caisson. The procession included a sheriff’s patrol car draped in black, which signifies a death in the department.
Crapse, who had been with the Bryan County Sheriff’s Department since 1999, was on duty when the accident occurred. His K-9 partner Seppe suffered minor injuries from the accident.
He is survived by his wife and three children, ages 10, 8 and 6, all of Ellabell.
Crapse’s K-9 unit cruiser was struck head on just after 2 a.m. Friday by a Toyota Corolla, driven by Patricia Ann Collins, that was travelling south in the northbound lane of I-95.
Collins, a 23-year-old from Richmond Hill, was still being treated Monday at Memorial Health University Medical Center. An update on her condition was not available Tuesday by presstime.
No charges have yet been filed as the accident is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol.
A fund for the Crapse family has been set up at The Heritage Bank in Pembroke.