Driver Strikes Cyclist, Flees the Scene and Calls Personal Friend and State Lawmaker Instead of 911

CEDARTOWN, GA- Ajc.com writes that a tragic hit-and-run crash took place this fall in Cedartown, Georgia. The incident led to an investigation into a state representative and a police chief. The driver involved was leaving a local town fair when he struck a 38-year-old man. The cyclist fell into a ditch along the roadside, and the driver left the scene.*

Rather than calling 911, the motorist drove to a gas station and called a Georgia state representative. The representative is a personal friend of the motorist, and he apparently met with the driver, who said he believed that he had struck an animal. The representative then phoned a police sergeant and the three went to look at the site of the incident. The officer then saw the bike and located a sock. When the victim was discovered, he was still alive, though his breathing was shallow. The police sergeant then called 911. An hour after arriving in the hospital, and two hours after the crash, the victim was declared dead. The coroner was shocked by the way that the case was handled. Had the driver immediately called emergency services, he said he believes that the victim would have survived the crash. The death was ultimately ruled a homicide by vehicle. 

Reports indicate that the motorist’s 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe was crushed in on its front, and had a red streak of paint leftover from the victim’s bike. The district attorney is now looking into what transported and will be making a determination into what charges will be filed in relation to the case and who will be charged. 

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Source:https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/shock-lawmaker-police-chief-response-wreck-under-review/47ba4Foy4VSCw8iHFgzKBN/