HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A former Hall County Sheriff’s deputy has died from injuries she sustained during an on-duty crash in 1994, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Deputy Betty Uriegas was on patrol during Tropical Storm Beryl on Aug. 17, 1994, when she observed a group of people on private property. As she turned her vehicle around to investigate, she heard gunshots.
Her vehicle then hydroplaned off of the road, striking a tree and leaving her trapped inside until another officer arrived to assist. She was transported to a hospital with a broken neck.
The group had dissipated by the time other officers arrived.
The crash injuries rendered Uriegas a C4 quadriplegic. She died on Aug. 8 from pulmonary failure related to her condition at 66 years of age.
Uriegas had served with the Hall County Sheriff’s office for nine years at the time of the incident, according to ODMP. She carried the Olympic Torch at the 1996 Paralympic Games.
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