Augusta to pay $700K to family of man killed in crash involving sheriff’s deputy

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The city of Augusta will pay $700,000 to the family of a man killed in 2023 when a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office vehicle struck his car at Highway 25 and Cohen Road.

Deputy Ty Dailey was behind the wheel at the time of the crash. Warrants show Dailey was traveling 90 mph in a 55 mph zone when the collision occurred. He faces charges of homicide by vehicle in the second degree and speeding.

Fager’s family filed the civil lawsuit while the criminal case continues to move through the courts. Dailey is still facing criminal charges in Burke County.

News 12 has been investigating this case for years.

In Oct. 2025, a Richmond County deputy was indicted in a deadly car crash in 2023.

According to officials, Richmond County Deputy Ty Dailey was indicted by a Burke County Grand Jury for homicide by vehicle in the second degree and speeding.

In July, that charge was dismissed. Dailey’s attorney filed a motion to quash, stating that the solicitor, Matthew Franklin, had a statutory duty to convene the grand jury and obtain a true bill of indictment before initiating the prosecution of this case.

READ THE FILING:

Lawyers said the charge was required to be presented to a grand jury because it is an allegation of a criminal offense by a police officer during the course and scope of his employment.

Dailey was driving a Richmond County Sheriff’s Office vehicle when it collided with a vehicle carrying Jay and Donna Fager on Highway 25 and Cohen Road.

Warrants from the Georgia State Patrol state Dailey was going 90 mph in a 55 mph zone, 35 mph over the speed limit when the crash happened.

The accident killed Jay Fager.

Dead body ID’d as man who’d been missing for 11 days

A dead body found in a wooded area behind an Augusta apartment complex has been identified as a man reported missing a few days earlier.

In May 2024, Dailey turned himself into the detention center in Burke County in connection to the crash.

News 12 first reported in March 2024 that the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office never conducted an internal affairs investigation into Dailey’s deadly crash. He was cleared of any wrongdoing and back at work – on the taxpayers’ dime – before any investigation was complete.

News 12 uncovered a pattern with Dailey’s history at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

MORE COVERAGE:

• I-TEAM: Richmond County deputy arrested in deadly 2023 crash
• I-TEAM: A closer look at deadly 2023 crash involving deputy
• DA forwards case on fatal crash involving Richmond County deputy
• DA investigates fatal crash involving Richmond County deputy
• 75-year-old killed in crash on Cohen Road in Burke County

In 2013, he was disciplined after a second accident within six weeks of each other. Both were caused by Dailey’s speeding. In both accidents, he was found at fault.

The crash report went before the city of Augusta’s Safety Review Committee.

Though Dailey was driving 35 mph over the posted speed limit in the crash that killed Jay Fager, Augusta’s safety committee found him not at fault.

And they made that decision even before Georgia State Patrol’s investigation was complete, and before the district attorney’s office was done reviewing the case.

Donna Fager paid Augusta $20,000 for damage to the deputy’s car.