APD officer Joshua Sieck charged with vehicular homicide after wreck

An Atlanta police officer is now charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide after a crash that killed a woman in south Fulton County.

The crash happened Saturday at the intersection of Cascade and Fairbu roads.

Fulton County police investigators told Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant they're focusing on whether Joshua Sieck, who just graduated from the police academy last month, took the right precautions before entering the intersection

"There is a certain level of due care, or due regard, that an officer much attribute to when they're entering an intersection," explained Fulton County Police Detective Melissa Parker.

Sieck's cruiser slammed into Jacqueline Culp's BMW. Culp died in the crash.

Police said Sieck was responding to an emergency call, and witnesses said his lights and sirens were on. The violent impact sent both cars careening into Kenyatta White's car.

"I think the police car came across there too fast, and it just happened so fast," White said.

GA Daily News has been looking into the issue of police crashes for months.

Records Diamant obtained from Atlanta police through an open records request show in 2011, APD officers were involved in 65 "at-fault" crashes leading to 17 suspensions.

The remaining officers received written or verbal reprimands.

When Diamant stopped by Sieck's Marietta apartment to ask him about this latest crash, no one came to the door.

An APD spokesperson sent an email saying, "Officer Sieck has been placed on paid administrative leave pending further determination by the chief of police regarding his status. The Atlanta Police Department continues to send our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Mrs. Jacqueline Culp."

APD won't say where Sieck was headed when he got into that wreck.

Culp's funeral is scheduled for Friday moing.