The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the accident happened at about 5 p.m. on Bascomb Carmel Road near Bascomb Springs. Officials said that it seems that Giovanni Aragon-Mercado, 19, fell asleep at the wheel before his Lincoln Navigator went into the opposite lane of traffic and hit a motorcyclist.
Aragon-Mercado didn’t have a driver’s license at the time of the accident. He was driving with only a learner’s permit.
The motorcyclist, Derrick Ferree, 24, of Marietta, was rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital immediately following the accident. Ferree was later pronounced dead in the hospital.
Aragon-Mercado wasn’t injured in the accident. He has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide, failure to stay in his lane, and violation of license restrictions.
Aragon-Mercado’s mother, Perla Mercado, 38, was penalized with permitting an unlicensed person to driver her vehicle.
Both people are being held at Cherokee Adult Detention Center. Perla Mercado’s bond is set at $685 and her son’s bond is set at $2,350.
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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