Walker County has appointed Justin Luce as its new fleet manager, following a fire truck crash last month that revealed major shortcomings in county vehicle oversight and policy.
The personnel change was announced at Thursday’s commission meeting, where officials also approved a new countywide vehicle operation policy and finalized financing for a replacement fire truck.
The updates follow an incident in which a Walker County Fire and Rescue truck overturned and caught fire while being test-driven by a county mechanic. No injuries were reported, but the vehicle was totaled, and it was later revealed the truck lacked full insurance coverage—an outcome tied to decisions made by a previous administration.
A former county employee claimed the truck’s brakes failed prior to the crash. A Georgia State Patrol investigation later found that the mechanic involved did not hold the proper license to operate the fire truck. Both the mechanic and his supervisor, the former fleet manager, were terminated after the crash.
During the county’s July meeting, several residents voiced concern over the absence of a formal policy governing who is allowed to operate county vehicles. Those concerns prompted commissioners to implement a new policy requiring the Human Resources Department to verify drivers’ licenses on a regular basis, either annually or as needed.
According to county officials, the policy is intended to ensure that only properly licensed personnel operate vehicles that require special certification, such as fire trucks or other heavy equipment.
In addition to approving the new policy, the commission also moved forward with financing for a replacement ladder truck, which had been approved in July. The new fire truck carries a price tag of nearly $1.5 million.
The Bank of Lafayette was selected to finance the purchase, offering a 2.75% interest rate with payments scheduled monthly over five years.
County officials did not immediately provide information on the funding source for those payments. Chairwoman Angie Teems left the meeting before questions on that topic could be addressed.
A report by WTVC-TV contributed to this story.