More people died in car crashes in December 2008 than in any other month
of the year. In fact, the “contest” wasn’t even close.
Eleven people died in ten separate December car accidents here in Atlanta.
The next worst month was April, when seven people died in collisions.
Three of the collisions involved pedestrians Perhaps predictably, given
the holiday season, Atlanta police said 3 of the 10 wrecks were caused
by DUI drivers who were under the influence while driving.
I am an Atlanta auto wreck lawyer, and I have been chronicling the 2008
and 2009 car accidents around Atlanta. I am up to December 2008. I am
using the
FARS database in order to get the data I am using.
The month got off to a bad start, when a drunken driver caused a fatal,
two-car collision here in Atlanta. The accident happened at the corner
of Boulevard Dr. and Hansell St. at 7:19 p.m., and Atlanta police listed
the cause of the accident as being a driver who was DUI.
Two days later, on December 3, 2008, three-vehicles were involved in a
car collision at the intersection of Moreland Dr. and Isa Dr. One person
died in the wreck, which occurred in the evening, at 9:15 p.m.
A driver died when he crashed his car at the corner of Pulliam St. and
Dodd Ave. in Atlanta. The accident occurred at 7:04 a.m. in the morning.
On December 10, 2008, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car while
the pedestrian was crossing at the juncture of Central Avenue and Trinity
Avenue. That accident occurred just after midnight, at 12:25 a.m.
Atlanta got a brief, week’s respite, and then another fatal car crash
occurred on December 18th. The single-vehicle accident happened at 2:06
p.m. in the afternoon on Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, where I-75
and I-85 join. Both the driver and the passenger who were in the vehicle
were killed.
December 19, 2008, got the unpleasant distinction of being a day on which
two different fatal car crashes occurred. The first accident happened
shortly after midnight, at 12:24 a.m. That accident happened on I-75 at
the West Paces Ferry exit area. A driver died in the one-car crash. Then,
23 hours later, two cars collided at the intersection of Northside Dr.
/ SR-13 and Wells St. The accident happened at 11:36 p.m., and left one
person dead.
Sadly, on Christmas Day a pedestrian was struck and killed by a drunk driver.
The pedestrian, who was walking along Buford Highway / SR-13, was hit
at 1:55 a.m.
The good news for December 2008 was that no one died on New Year’s
Eve before midnight. Unfortunately, the day before more than compensated
for that good news. Two people were killed in separate accidents on December
30th. First, at 2:39 a.m., a drunk driver crashed on Peachtree Battle
Ave. at the intersection of Sagamore Dr. just west of Northside Parkway.
One person died in the car wreck, and Atlanta police listed the fact that
the driver was DUI as a contributing factor. That evening, at 7:38 p.m.,
a pedestrian was hit by a car while crossing at Campbellton Rd. and Fairburn
Rd. A second car became involved in the collision as well.