Bibb coroner gives rides to New Year’s Eve party goers

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – If you were one of the many people out celebrating bringing in the New Year in Macon last night, you might have noticed a well-known elected official driving people around downtown.

It was Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.

Jones made 17 runs to downtown bars and nightclubs, including The Hummingbird on Cherry Street.

He transported 20 people following the New Year Cherry Blossom Ball Drop Celebration.

The Macon native said he just wanted to give back to the community.

“My goal was to keep people safe and not letting them get behind the wheel,” said Jones. “I wanted everybody to have a good time, but I didn’t want anyone to get behind the wheel and have a wreck or get injured or kill someone.”

Bibb County District 3 Major Robert Grabowski has worked with the coroner on fatal car crashes, and applauds the coroner’s community service.

“We would prefer that people who are engaging in drinking and driving don’t even think about getting behind a steering wheel and driving,” said Grabowski. “That’s what we would prefer. In the case somebody does, Jones doing what he did, as far as renting a van and going out picking people up,  it was a way to save lives.”