Twelve people died and more than 180 were hurt in traffic crashes across Georgia during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, state officials say.
What’s Happening: The holiday travel period covered 78 hours, from 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 5. Georgia State Patrol investigated nine of the 12 deaths, spread across eight crashes. The other three fatal crashes were handled by Atlanta police, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. In all, State Patrol investigated more than 295 crashes during the period, including 15 involving commercial trucks.
By the Numbers: Troopers made 20,208 traffic stops over the four-day stretch, issuing 10,806 citations and 14,657 warnings. They arrested 425 people for drunk driving, cited 1,099 drivers for not wearing a seatbelt, and cited 235 for child safety seat violations.
The Path Forward: State officials say the crash totals are preliminary and could change.
A 63-year-old from Acworth got 10 years behind bars for his road rage incident because he chose to fire 14 rounds into the driver’s side of another car while stopped at a red light. This is not how a civilized society behaves.
Buy the Book on Amazon →
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
