Three Killed in Accident on Highway 78 in Dekalb County

Three people from Gwinnett County were killed in an accident near Stone Mountain Park on Tuesday. Initial news reports from the Atlanta Journal Constitution said that 6 others had been seriously injured when the van they were traveling in was struck by a car, and then flipped over. New reports coming in have identified the victims.

According to DeKalb County police, the driver of the white sedan was changing lanes on Georgia State Highway 78 when he struck the rear bumper of the van, which then flipped over several times. The van was full of Georgia Power's employees who were commuting to work.  The six people who were injured continue to be in a critical condition at hospitals in Atlanta, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.  DeKalb police have indicated that criminal charges may filed against the sedan driver, James Miles.

Coincidentally, the accident occurred on the same day that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had some good news for DeKalb County personal injury lawyers.  According to the NHTSA, traffic accident fatality rates for the first half of 2009 were down by about 7 percent compared to the same period last year. Between January and June 2008, 17,871 people died in traffic accidents. This year, there have been 16,626 fatalities traffic accidents during the same period. 2008 was something of a milestone year in terms of fatality rates - they were the lowest the agency has recorded in decades.