Athens-Clarke County Police are asking for the public’s help to locate a suspected hit-and-run driver who left a man dead on the sidewalk.
Police were called to the scene on North Avenue, just south of Strickland Avenue, around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, December 22.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered the subject was deceased and the victim of a hit and run,” says Athens-Clarke Police Lt. Shaun Barnett. He says the initial investigation indicates that the man was walking north on the sidewalk when a northbound vehicle exited the roadway and struck him.
“The vehicle continued driving, leaving the scene,” Barnett says.
As a result of their investigation, police identified the driver as 31-year-old Amanda Gerrett of Athens. They took out arrest warrants on her for first-degree vehicular homicide, felony hit and run, and failure to maintain lane.
Police are now searching for her. They ask anyone with information regarding Gerrett’s whereabouts to call 911. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact ACCPD Senior Police Officer Lewis at 762-400-7169 or [email protected].
The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The investigation continues.
This is the second fatal hit-and-run in Athens in three months.
20-year-old UGA marketing student Ariana Zarse of Austin, Texas, was fatally injured as she and a friend walked across Broad Street downtown just after midnight on October 9.
The alleged driver in that case, 29-year-old Donterris Gresham of Athens, turned himself into police four days after the fatal crash. As of December 23, he remained in the Clarke County jail.
