It was the deadliest Labor Day Weekend in more than nine years. According to investigators and news reports, 21 people were killed in crashes over the three-day holiday weekend. Two others drowned in state lakes.

The fatalities include:

• Five teenagers who died in a multi-vehicle incident in Gwinnett County after their pickup truck went over a wall on a GA-316 exit ramp and landed on I-85 at 4 a.m. on Monday. Three other people were hospitalized from that crash.
• Two Morehouse College students who were killed in a single-vehicle crash in East Point, likely due to speeding while passing another car on a curve. The vehicle left the roadway, hit two power poles, and overturned near the intersection of Linwood Avenue.
• A driver who lost control of their vehicle late Friday night on the Downtown Connector, left the roadway, struck a concrete median and metal guardrail, and overturned.
• A Toccoa man speeding in a Dodge Charger on GA 106 lost control on a curve and collided with a Ford truck. The truck’s four passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries; the other driver was not wearing his seatbelt and died at the scene.
• A motorcyclist from Blairsville who ran off the road on a curve, traveled down an embankment, and struck a road sign.
• Other crashes in Athens, Cumming, Grovetown, Milledgeville, Blue Ridge, and Dublin.

Metro Atlanta’s crash fatality rate placed 16th in the nation compared to other metros with 1 million or more people. While Memphis tops the list with a fatality rate double that of the national average, Atlanta remains ahead of metro areas such as Los Angeles and Raleigh.

Advice From an Atlanta Accident Attorney

This Labor Day Weekend saw a marked increase in fatal motor vehicle accidents. Many of these crashes involved high speeds and lack of seatbelts. No matter how nice the weekend or distance required to travel, travel at speeds safe for conditions (especially around curves) and wear your seatbelt.

For those who have been injured in a crash that wasn’t their fault or lost a loved one in a wreck due to someone’s recklessness, a Georgia personal injury lawyer can counsel you on your legal rights. The Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates offers free and fully confidential consultations. Clients do not pay anything unless we win their case.

Protect your loved ones and peace of mind after a serious accident. Contact us at (770) 934-8000 to discuss your claim today.