A two-vehicle crash in Barrow County claimed the life of a Dacula man. Georgia State Patrol Post 32 in Athens worked the crash which happened on Dee Kennedy Road near Emperor Lane around 4:20 p.m. New Year’s Eve.
According to state troopers, a Ford F150 and Ford Focus were traveling south on Dee Kennedy Road when the front of the pickup collided with the rear of the sedan. Both drivers lost control after the collision. The Ford Focus left the roadway and struck a tree, fatally injuring its driver, 20-year-old Jakob Riley Martin.
EMS transported Martin to Gwinnett Medical Center where he later died.
The pickup truck driver, 55-year-old Timothy Lee Williams of Winder, was also injured. EMS transported him to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton with non-life-threatening injuries, troopers say.
The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is assisting with the investigation into the fatal crash. “Troopers are working to determine if driver impairment or excessive speed played a role in the collision,” says SFC Tim Meyer with Georgia State Patrol Post 32 in Athens. He says charges are pending against Williams.
Martin is among twelve people killed on Georgia’s roads over this long New Year’s weekend. Since December 30, the Georgia Department of Public Safety reports law enforcement in the following areas have worked fatal wrecks: Forest Park, Smyrna, Gwinnett, Villa Rica, Cherokee and Cobb counties, Thomasville and Thomaston.
The 78-hour holiday travel period ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2.
Last year, 14 people died in 11 fatal crashes during the 78-hour New Year’s holiday. At least 16 people were killed in crashes statewide over this past Christmas holiday.
Last updated 1/2/2022 @ 8:53 a.m.
