Driver Strikes Pedestrian in Tragic Crash on Interstate 20 in Atlanta, Georgia (GA)
ATLANTA, GA- Ajc.com writes that a pedestrian died in a crash on Interstate 20 this week in Atlanta. The incident occurred on the exit ramp leading to Interstate 75/85 South, which caused the authorities to close down the busy road for the investigation.*
Police state that in the mid-afternoon, a driver struck the pedestrian and then crashed into a barrier wall. The driver, who was operating a Honda CRV, reportedly failed to maintain his lane. The ramp did not open again until the evening. Significant delays were reported through the area following the wreck. The authorities have not released the name of the victim as they have not yet contacted the next of kin. It is not yet clear whether any charges will be filed. There is a homeless camp close to the location of the fatal crash. Recently a woman was stabbed to death in the area under the Interstate 20 overpass.
Pedestrians are vulnerable when they are near traffic. A car need not be traveling fast for a pedestrian to suffer fatal injuries in a collision. The number of pedestrians killed each year is over 6,000 nationally. For several years, pedestrian crash deaths have increased across the United States. In Georgia, the numbers also jumped, and they did so by striking margins. Over just five years, Georgia saw a 60 percent increase in pedestrian deaths. While crash fatalities dropped overall in the state in 2018, the number of pedestrians killed still increased by eight.
Last year, there were more fatal crashes in Georgia than in 2018. According to the state’s Department of Transportation, sixteen percent of the 1,507 people killed last year on Georgia’s roads were pedestrians. Distraction is believed to be one of the leading causes of crashes in the state.
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Sources:
https://www.ajc.com/news/pedestrian-struck-killed-at-i-20-exit-ramp-near-downtown/SI5K4AV3MVDFVPLTSANCYLD3OA/
http://www.dot.ga.gov/DS/SafetyOperation/DAAA
https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/research/#:~:text=There%20were%20261%20pedestrian%20fatalities,over%20the%20last%20five%20years.