Harrison Deal was a 20-year-old University of Georgia student and Republican campaign staffer from Statesboro who was killed on December 4, 2020, when a flatbed truck struck his car on Interstate 16 near Savannah. He was dating Governor Brian Kemp’s daughter Lucy and was working for Senator Kelly Loeffler’s re-election campaign at the time of his death. The truck’s driver, Mario Demaine Clark, later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular homicide.
How the Crash Happened
Around 10:00 a.m. on December 4, 2020, Deal was driving eastbound on I-16 near Pooler Parkway in Chatham County, headed to help set up a Savannah campaign rally where Loeffler and Kemp were scheduled to appear with Vice President Mike Pence. A Freightliner flatbed truck driven by Mario Demaine Clark, a 44-year-old Atlanta man, struck Deal’s vehicle from behind.1Statesboro Herald. Few Details Released in Fatal Crash The impact pushed Deal’s car into other vehicles, and three of the vehicles involved were engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived.2GriceConnect. Chatham Grand Jury Indicted Driver That Killed Harrison Deal Deal was killed. The other drivers did not sustain serious injuries.
A later grand jury indictment identified four vehicles in total: Clark’s flatbed carrying steel, two smaller vehicles, and a tractor-trailer.2GriceConnect. Chatham Grand Jury Indicted Driver That Killed Harrison Deal The Pooler Police Department described the incident as a multi-vehicle traffic collision and said the investigation would take weeks or months.1Statesboro Herald. Few Details Released in Fatal Crash
Who Harrison Deal Was
Deal was born on February 29, 2000, in Bulloch County, and grew up in Statesboro. He graduated from Bulloch Academy in 2018 as a scholar-athlete and honor graduate, spent his freshman year at Georgia Southern, then transferred to the University of Georgia, where he was a sophomore majoring in finance and political science and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.3Bulloch Funeral Home. Harrison Deal Obituary
His father, Curt Deal, is a funeral director who was first elected to the Bulloch County Commission in 2016 and served eight years, including as vice chairman.4Statesboro Herald. Body of County Commissioner’s Son to Be Brought Back to Statesboro Harrison was the middle child, with two sisters and his mother Jenni Deal.5Baptist Press. Georgia Church Remembers Harrison Deal as More Than a Campaign Staffer In April 2019, he and his father, with partner Bob Cook, purchased Paws ‘n Reflect, a local pet cremation service.6GriceConnect. Paws ‘n Reflect New Owners Continue Pet Crematory Service
By 20, Deal had already built a Republican political resume in Georgia. He interned in Senator David Perdue’s Atlanta office in the summer of 2019, and in August 2020 joined Senator Kelly Loeffler’s campaign as a field representative, eventually serving as Athens regional field director during the January 2021 Senate runoff.7FOX 5 Atlanta. Loeffler Campaign Staffer Killed in Car Crash
Deal had been dating Lucy Kemp, Governor Brian Kemp’s daughter, for about two years at the time of his death.8The Red and Black. Friends Remember Harrison Deal’s Kindness, Passion for Politics, Strong Faith Kemp called him “the Kemp son and brother we never had” and a “familiar visitor to the Governor’s office.”4Statesboro Herald. Body of County Commissioner’s Son to Be Brought Back to Statesboro Loeffler called him “a beloved member of our campaign team.”911Alive. Kemp Missing Valdosta Rally After Harrison Deal Death Both Loeffler and Kemp canceled their appearance at the Savannah rally on the day of the crash.10Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Loeffler Cancels Rally Plans After Campaign Staffer Dies The next night in Valdosta, President Donald Trump offered public condolences.11GriceConnect. Harrison Deal Returns Home; President Trump Sends Condolences; Funeral Plans Completed
The Criminal Case Against the Truck Driver
On April 15, 2021, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Clark on one count of homicide by vehicle in the second degree, alleging he caused Deal’s death by driving recklessly on I-16.12FOX 28 Savannah. Man Indicted in Crash That Killed Then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler Staffer13WRDW. Atlanta Man Indicted in Crash That Killed Loeffler Campaign Staffer
The case moved slowly. By June 2023 the felony charge had been reduced to misdemeanor vehicular homicide, and Clark entered a not-guilty plea.14WTOC. Man Accused of Causing Deadly Crash That Killed Loeffler Campaign Staffer Pleads Not Guilty In 2024, Clark pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to one year in jail but was permitted to serve the remainder of that time on probation.15Newsday. Georgia Governor’s Daughter Becomes State Trooper
Conspiracy Theories About Deal’s Death
Within days of the crash, social media posts claimed Deal had been murdered, with some alleging Joe Biden’s team was responsible. A viral video speculated the crash was caused by a car bomb or drone strike, linking a supposed plot to Governor Kemp’s consideration of a signature audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential ballots.16PolitiFact. Police Say Loeffler Aide Died in Traffic Collision
The claims resurfaced in September 2021, when attorney Sidney Powell appeared on a podcast hosted by pastor Andrew Wommack and alleged Deal was “blown up in his car” to pressure Kemp into abandoning the audit, describing it as part of a “pervasive and very, very dark” conspiracy involving “trillions of dollars.”17Yahoo News. Pro-Trump Lawyer Claims Death of Campaign Staffer Was Assassination
None of the claims had any evidentiary basis. Pooler police consistently described the incident as a multi-vehicle traffic collision, and Deal’s own family called his death a “tragic motor vehicle accident” in his obituary.16PolitiFact. Police Say Loeffler Aide Died in Traffic Collision17Yahoo News. Pro-Trump Lawyer Claims Death of Campaign Staffer Was Assassination PolitiFact rated the claim that Biden killed a Loeffler staffer false, and Newsweek separately rated the broader conspiracy false.18Newsweek. Fact Check: Was Georgia Senator Aide Blown Up to Stop 2020 Audit A grand jury indicted the truck driver, and he later pleaded guilty.
Funeral and Memorials
Deal’s funeral was held on December 10, 2020, at First Baptist Church in Statesboro, officiated by lead pastor John Waters. Governor Kemp, Lucy Kemp, and Senator Loeffler all spoke. He was buried at Bulloch Memorial Gardens, and his honorary pallbearers included his Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers and Loeffler’s campaign staff.5Baptist Press. Georgia Church Remembers Harrison Deal as More Than a Campaign Staffer11GriceConnect. Harrison Deal Returns Home; President Trump Sends Condolences; Funeral Plans Completed
In December 2021, Deal’s family endowed the Bulloch County recreation department with $25,000 in Harrison’s memory, funding recreation programs and stipends for high school and college student volunteers.19WTOC. Harrison Deal’s Family Announces Memorial Fund for Recreation Department In June 2021, Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar named Lucy Kemp an honorary citizen of Statesboro in Harrison’s memory.20Statesboro Herald. Governor’s Daughter Lucy Kemp Named Honorary Statesboro Citizen