OFFICER JAMES FREDERICK “FREDDIE” NORMAN
Home City: Austell, Georgia
Crash Anniversary: April 17, 1988
Cobb County Georgia Officer Freddie Norman was given less than a 1 percent chance of surviving after a teenage drunk driver slammed into his patrol car as he was responding to an emergency call.
The crash left Officer Norman a quadriplegic and unable to talk, but he persevered and was able to communicate through a computer. He received the Blue Star Award, given to officers injured in the line of duty, and saw his daughter Christi Norman sworn in as an officer with the Austell Police Department.
Officer Norman succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash 21 years later, on February 14, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Faith, three daughters and three grandsons.
“It is heartbreaking to see a loved one deal with severe disabilities all because a 16-year-old made a bad choice by becoming intoxicated and choosing to drive instead of calling a taxi or having a designated driver. Freddie was confined to a wheelchair with limited movement and unable to talk for 21 years. It took a toll on his body. It is devastating to lose a loved one as a result of drunk driving. As an officer, one of Freddie’s main goals was to keep drunk drivers off the road. What happened to Freddie does not have to happen again,” said Faith.
Can we count on you to help us end drunk driving?
