12-Year-Old Boy Killed in Hit & Run Accident

Atlanta – On April 1st, 2013 in southwest Atlanta, an unidentified 12-year-old boy was crossing the street in the afternoon when he was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene of the accident. According to the police, they have arrested a man in connection to the hit and run collision that killed the boy on the tragic Monday afternoon.

According to authorities, the 43-year-old man has been arrested and charged with DUI, vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to yield, driving with a suspended license, failure to maintain lane and reckless driving.

The 43-year-old suspect is being accused of hitting the young boy as he crossed the street on Monday afternoon and subsequently fleeing the scene. Police spokeswoman Kim Jones says that the suspect ultimately surrendered to Clayton County police; it is uncertain whether or not he has a defense attorney. The suspect is being held on $11,700 bond according to Fulton County jail records. The authorities have not released the victim’s identity.

About Hit & Run Accidents

Hit and run, or otherwise fleeing the scene of an accident is the act of causing or contributing to a traffic accident, such as colliding with another vehicle or a fixed structure, or a person, and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards. In Georgia, hit and run is covered under Title 40, Section 40-6-270 of the Georgia Code, it states that when a driver is involved in an accident that results in damage or injury or death, then that driver shall immediately stop their vehicle at the scene of the accident and do the following:

1. They must provide their name, address, and registration number of the vehicle they are driving;
2. Upon request show their driver’s license to the person they struck or the driver or occupant or another person associated with the vehicle they collided with;
3. They must render aid to any injured person in such accident, and this includes calling 911 or otherwise making arrangements to ensure the injured person receives medical treatment.

Under §40-6-270, if such an accident is the proximate cause of serious injury or death and the driver knowingly fails to stop and comply with the requirements of this subsection, then he or she shall be guilty of a felony and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2008, 4,378 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, and another 69,000 pedestrians sustained injuries in that same year. These numbers average out to one crash-related pedestrian death every two hours, and one pedestrian injury every eight minutes. What’s more, pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to be killed than the passenger occupants in a car crash on each trip. (American Journal of Epidemiology 2007)

The greatest risk group is older adults ages 65 and older; in 2008 elder adults accounted for 18% of all pedestrians killed and an estimated 10% of all pedestrians injured. In the same year, one out of every five children between the ages of 5 and 9 killed in traffic crashes was a pedestrian. Alcohol impairment on behalf of the pedestrian or the driver was reported in 48% of the fatal pedestrian accidents, and speeding also increased the likelihood of a pedestrian being struck by a car and experiencing a more severe injury. Lastly, the majority of pedestrian and bicycle deaths occur in the nighttime hours in urban areas and at non-intersection locations.

If you or someone you love was injured in a bicycle, pedestrian, drunk driving, or any other type of motor vehicle accident, you are urged to contact a Marietta car accident lawyer from Jones & Swanson right away. Our founding attorney, Andrew W. Jones is AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, he is included in Georgia’s selection of Super Lawyers®, he is rated 10.0 “Superb” on Avvo.com, and he was selected to Georgia Trend’s 2012 Legal Elite. With credentials such as these, you can trust that your case will be in very good hands!