Texas Man Charged with Damaging Lavonia Eagle Monument

A Texas man is facing charges in Lavonia after he allegedly rammed his truck into a monument downtown.

Lavonia Police Chief Shane Edmisten said it happened about 4a Friday morning when a Chevy truck driven by Richard Bullock of Weatherford, Texas smashed into the Eagle Monument at the corner of Augusta Road and Grogan St. Across from the Police Station.

According to the incident report, Lavonia Police Officer Jack Corbett was informed by Sergeant Ken Mason that Sergeant Mason heard a loud crashing sound near the center of the intersection of West Avenue and Highway 17.

Mason said he then saw a dark truck with multiple lights on it, going southbound on Highway 17.

Officer Corbett responded to the area and noticed the eagle statue had been hit by some type of vehicle.

Officer Corbett continued down Highway 17 southbound and found a truck fitting the description in the parking lot at Northeast Georgia Bank.

Corbett spoke to Bullock who said he swerved to miss a pothole and ended up losing control of his truck but he denied hitting the statue.

Sergeant Mason arrived on the scene moments later and detained Bullock for a hit-and-run investigation.

After looking at the damage to the truck and Eagle monument, Sergeant Mason determined the truck had struck the monument.

The investigation was assumed by Officer Corbett and Bullock was placed under arrest and his vehicle was turned over to Williams Towing.

Bullock was charged with hit-and-run, and duly striking a fixture.