Charges Filed After Hit-and-Run Death on Main Street in Clayton, Georgia

CLAYTON, GA- Theclaytontribune.com writes that a Clayton crash that left a pedestrian dead led to charges being filed against the suspected driver. The incident took place this month when the victim, identified as a 26-year-old man, was walking to work early in the morning.*

A Ford F-150 traveling northbound struck the victim on Main Street close to its intersection with Dunlap Street. Prior to the collision, the victim was walking eastbound and trying to cross the road. The driver who struck the man then fled the crash scene. 

Police later located and apprehended the suspected driver, identified as a 24-year-old man. Multiple charges have now been filed, including first-degree homicide. 

Hit-and-run crashes and related fatalities are on the rise in the United States. Fatal hit-and-and- runs most often involve pedestrians. About 65 percent of those killed in these incidents are either pedestrians or cyclists. A driver who strikes a cyclist can flee in most cases because his or her car is still able to operate. In cases where a fatal crash occurs between cars, the vehicles are typically damaged to the point of making fleeing the scene impossible. 

In many cases, drivers who flee crash scenes are guilty of another driving-related offense, such as operating a vehicle while impaired or driving without a valid license. The AAA reports that drivers who commit hit-and-runs are anywhere from two times to nine times as likely to be under the influence of alcohol as are drivers who are in a crash but remain at the scene. 

The fact that a driver is under the influence of alcohol likely plays a role in that driver’s choice to flee the scene of the collision. 

As hit-and-runs increase, many states have found it difficult to prevent such crimes as increasing penalties has proven fairly ineffective. 

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Sources:

https://www.theclaytontribune.com/local/suspect-charged-fatal-hit-and-run

https://www.cars.com/articles/hit-and-run-deaths-are-way-up-how-dangerous-is-your-state-1420699813513/

https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-0058_Hit-and-Run-Brief_FINALv2.pdf