Atlanta Man Killed in Hit and Run Car Accident
An Atlanta resident was killed in a hit and run car accident over the weekend. While his family mourns the death of Howard DePass, police are continuing their search for the two men in the SUV that struck him. On Saturday night, DePass was driving home when he was struck head-on by a Ford Expedition. The two occupants of the Expedition got out of the SUV and fled on foot.
Police have determined that the Expedition was stolen. They are investigating leads, but so far, no one has been arrested. According to his family, DePass was a hardworking man who was looking forward to seeing his daughter graduate in May.
Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration releases statistics regarding traffic fatalities from the previous year. It includes details of people killed in drunk driving accidents, speeding-related car accidents, motorcycle crashes and pedestrian accidents. These statistics help law enforcement agencies understand how successful their accident prevention efforts have been, and what they need to focus on to prevent accidents in the future. In Georgia last year, there were a total of 1,493 deaths in traffic accidents. Behind each of those 1,493 fatalities is a shattered family, for whom the loss doesn’t end with a new year and a new set of statistics. The emotional loss for these husbands, wives, and children, is incalculable. Although Georgia's wrongful death laws can help these people hold the responsible party accountable for his/her negligence, there is no law that can help these families feel whole again or bring back a loved one lost due to carelessness.
Jason Schultz is a Georgia wrongful death attorney, helping families of victims of others' negligence recover their full and rightful compensation under Georgia law.
