Off-duty Mobile police officer dies in car crash
MOBILE, Ala. OCT 24 2017 Mobile Public Safety Director James Barber confirms that Police Sergeant Jeremy Franks died in an off-duty single-car crash.
The crash happened at Tanner Williams and Glen Acres Drive in Mobile County.
.The crash happened sometime before 1:30 AM. On Thursday morning.
Chief Lawrence Battiste said that that Franks was engaged to be married, and had one son. Battiste says Franks was 41 years old, and had been on the department for 19 years.
Chief Battiste also said that the department is giving officers a chance to cope with the loss, “We’re working to make sure the officers have room to grieve in their own way.”
Director Barber tells News 5 that he personally knows Sergeant Franks. “He was an outstanding officer dedicated to his job. He will be dearly missed. He was just one of the guys you would lean on when something hard had to be done,” Barber told News 5.
Chief Battiste also had positive things to say about Officer Franks during a news conference Thursday. Battiste says he was the type of person to light up any room and bring joy to everyone he interacted with. Battiste says Office Franks has left a positive impact on the department, “Everything that I know about him has been positive. He’s really helped this department move and grow in a positive direction.”
Barber says no one witnessed the single vehicle crash, but it was a patrol car that first spotted the wreck.
The funeral was held on Monday, October 23, 2017 at Forest Hill Church of God, 5508 Moffett Road.
