Marietta Drunk Driver Backs into Parked Car and Gas Station
A drunk driver crashed his car into a gas station in Cobb County on Monday, August 1, according to WSB-TV 2 Atlanta. The accident took place on Powers Ferry Road in Marietta. He hit several cars and collided with the side of the gas station’s main building. A video of the crash shows that the car was driving in reverse at the time of the collision. The man, who was driving a black BMW, sped backward through the gas station parking lot. The black BMW collided with a car in front of the gas station before slamming against the front of the building. Police believe that the vehicle was traveling over 60 miles per hour, based on video footage of the parking lot from the gas station’s security camera.
The collision caused serious damage to the front of the gas station, where the wall buckled in. The crash wrought havoc inside the store, where merchandise and shelving overturned and fell across the aisles. The driver narrowly avoided striking a cage containing propane tanks, which could have caused a powerful explosion. The driver, 38-year-old Jon Gatsby Karr, was allegedly under the influence of the alcohol when the crash occurred. He suffered serious injuries. Emergency responders transported him to Kennestone Hospital. None of the customers or employees of the gas station suffered any injuries. Police have charged Karr with driving under the influence and committing a hit and run.
Hit-and-Run Accidents Are on the Rise
USA Today reports that hit-and-run crashes are on the rise in the United States. Many hit-and-run accidents involve a driver who is under the influence of alcohol. Pedestrians are often the victims of hit-and-runs, with over one in five pedestrian collision fatalities being hit-and-runs. In recent years, many states have closed legislative loopholes that encouraged hit-and-run drivers to flee the scene, including penalties for hit-and-run convictions that were lower than those for vehicular manslaughter. In Florida, where hit-and-runs are a particularly severe problem, they caused over 3 in 5 pedestrian road deaths.
Hit-and-Run Drivers Are Liable for Accidents
Georgia law prohibits drivers from leaving the scene of a car accident without attempting to render aid. Section 40-6-270 of the Georgia Code requires drivers involved in any accident with another occupied vehicle or pedestrian to stop and perform several duties:
- Provide their name and vehicle registration
- Provide their driver’s license on request
- Render reasonable medical assistance, including arranging for transportation of an injured person to a hospital
- Request emergency help for anyone who has lost consciousness.
If a Georgia driver is convicted of violating Georgia’s hit-and-run law, the court will sentence them to a minimum sentence of one year in prison and a maximum of five. In a negligence lawsuit against a driver who causes an accident, a hit-and-run conviction will also provide evidence that the driver failed to take reasonable care, especially if the failure to provide reasonable assistance lead to worse injuries to the accident victim. If a driver is under the influence of alcohol during a car accident, this can also make them liable for punitive damages in a lawsuit.
Get Legal Help
If you or someone you know has been in a car accident, you need legal help. Contact an experienced auto accident lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County to get the compensation you deserve.
