Fatal Accident: Gwinnett County Police Sifting Through Crash Details

It is not always clear exactly what happened in the aftermath of a Georgia motor vehicle accident. That is particularly true when one of the parties to a two-car accident is killed at the scene of the crash. Police are often left with piecing together what occurred based upon the statements of the other party, along with a review of the physical evidence. At times, they may feel stymied as they try and sort through the evidence to determine the exact cause of a fatal accident. And when that occurs, they often ask the public for help, which is the case involving one recent tragedy in Gwinnett County.

The car accident happened on April 10 at about 12:40 p.m. A 22-year-old Sugar Hill man was apparently stopped southbound in his vehicle, preparing to turn left. At that time a Jeep being driven by a 28-year-old man from Loganville approached the intersection. Police believe that as the traffic light was turning from green to yellow, the first driver turned left in front of the second driver, resulting in a crash. The 22-year-old man died as a result of the crash.

As they continue their investigation into the fatal accident, police have indicated they are trying to establish the speed of the vehicles and make a determination about who had the legal right of way. To that end, they have asked the public for help. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information about it has been urged to contact the investigator handling the case. Nevertheless, authorities do not believe alcohol played a factor in the fatal accident. Georgia law provides for the right of a deceased victim’s surviving family to pursue a claim for wrongful death if the evidence from a car accident indicates another party’s negligence was the reason for the fatality.

Source: Loganville-Grayson, “Gwinnett Police Seeking Witnesses in Fatal Car Wreck,” April 13, 2012