June 28, 2011 - Atlanta, Ga. - The man who hit and killed a pedestrian in a fatal hit and run on June 17 has turned himself into authorities. According to a report at My Fox Atlanta, the hit-and-run driver has been identified as 24-year-old Jeremy Blackmon.
Police say Blackmon was driving an Oldsmobile Cutlass on West Fayetteville Road in College Park when he crashed into a pedestrian near the intersection with Phoenix Boulevard. That pedestrian, a 21-year-old man who had successfully battled brain cancer in his teenage years, was killed in the accident. He was originally from Ohio, but was in the Atlanta area visiting family.
Blackmon turned himself into police on Monday, although authorities acknowledge that they received an anonymous tip about the suspect prior to his arrest. He is now facing a variety of criminal charges, including fleeing the scene of a fatal accident and vehicular homicide.
In an interview with detectives, Blackmon said he thought he struck an animal and only learned later on that a pedestrian had been killed. Police say more arrests may be forthcoming in this case.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2009 Georgia Crash Statistics, there were 1,284 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Georgia.
As a service to the residents of Atlanta, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in Georgia that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.
Common accidents include, but are not limited to:
- single-car accidents;
- accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
- accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers.
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