WALKER COUNTY, Ga. — New details emerged Monday about the fire truck in Walker County that was totaled during a test drive by a county mechanic.
The Georgia State Patrol has cited county employee John Chance Pendergrass for operating the vehicle without the proper license endorsement required to drive that type of fire truck.
According to Walker County records, Pendergrass reported a brake problem caused him to veer off the road during the test drive.
County Commission Chairwoman Angie Teems confirmed that the fire truck was covered only by liability insurance at the time of the accident, prompting questions about the county’s insurance policies.
When asked why the truck lacked comprehensive coverage, a county spokesperson explained, “During our internal review, we discovered the previous administration had a policy of not purchasing comprehensive insurance on county vehicles older than five years, regardless of the vehicle’s value.”
Looking ahead, the spokesperson added, “Our department heads, who have expertise in their areas, will assess which vehicles should have full coverage so we can address this financial oversight.”
Former Walker County Chairman Shannon Whitfield responded to claims of negligence, stating the decision not to fully insure all county vehicles was a deliberate business choice made due to the high premium costs associated with insuring a large fleet of vehicles.
Whitfield noted, “This was a strategic decision made internally to manage costs while maintaining positive financial standing for the county.”
The fire truck involved was valued at nearly $650,000, a significant loss. Whitfield also stated that the county should have sufficient reserves to replace the truck without burdening taxpayers.
“Unless the county has spent those reserves, they should have more than enough funds to purchase a new fire truck if they decide to move forward with that,” he said.
The county has not yet confirmed whether it will use the cash reserves to replace the truck. However, the Walker County commissioners’ agenda includes a purchase order for a new ladder truck totaling $1,469,735 for the Fire Rescue department.
Following the incident, both Pendergrass and his supervisor were terminated. The driver was cited for lacking the proper endorsement on his license, and the supervisor was dismissed for permitting the test drive under those circumstances.