A good Samaritan's attempt to render aid to the victims of a hit-and-run went awry, and at first glance, the story sounds like a tragic scene from a book or movie. An ongoing investigation into two Georgia car wrecks reveals the best and worst of human nature. After narrowly escaping death, a man was killed seconds later. According to witnesses and police, a 23-year-old man was driving a vehicle containing two passengers. They were struck by another vehicle, the driver of which fled the scene. A good Samaritan stopped to help and told the victim and his passengers to get out of their disabled vehicle, which was in the roadway, and to get into hers to safely wait for help. As the victim was making his way into the kind woman's vehicle, another car struck him and one of the vehicles stopped in the road. The 23-year-old man was killed as the…

Occupants of passenger vehicles in Georgia will always be at an increased risk when they share the roadways with big rigs. The sheer size difference increases the risk of catastrophic injuries or fatalities in any truck accident. Road safety is the shared responsibility of operators of all modes of transport, including those on two-wheels like cyclists and motorcycle riders. Safety authorities say drivers of smaller vehicles should consider the unique challenges with which large truck operators must deal. The fact that big rigs could be up to 30 times the size of passenger vehicles makes it more challenging for a driver to maneuver large trucks and buses. Acceleration and braking are particularly dangerous because these large vehicles are slow to accelerate when going uphill and quick to gain speed when they go downhill. The taller the vehicle, the higher its center of gravity, which increases the risk of rolling over. For this…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries follow drowsy driving crashes nationwide each year, including Georgia. The National Sleep Foundation reports that the most likely age group to cause drowsy driving car wrecks are drivers from 18 through 29 years old. The recommended number of sleeping hours per night is seven to nine, which makes parents with children more vulnerable. Drivers are advised to stay engaged by chatting with passengers and selecting lively music to which they can sing along, instead of soothing tunes that could cause drowsiness. However, too much focus on conversations and music could be distracting. Some drivers listen to audiobooks to keep them alert -- a great help when driving alone, and rolling down the window might also prevent drowsiness. Traveling long distances is best done in pairs while taking turns to drive. Lone drivers are advised to pull over where…

There are numerous distractions for a driver while on the road. While the most obvious these days is cellphone usage, passengers, roadside commotion, or even the driver's own thoughts can take focus away from the road. That loss of concentration on driving can lead to a fatal car accident or one with varying degrees of injury. A 33-year-old man from Hall County was recently killed in a mid-morning fatal car accident. The man was headed west in his Ford Focus when a Dodge Ram pickup traveling east crossed over the center lane. The two vehicles collided head-on. When Georgia State Patrol troopers arrived on the scene, they found the driver of the Ford had died from blunt force trauma caused by the impact. The pickup truck had rolled over and landed upside down. The driver was injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The state's specialized reconstruction team…

Sometimes obeying traffic laws seems to interfere with what a driver thinks needs to be done. There are days when one is late for work and it feels like every light in Georgia is turning red just as the individual approaches it. Other days, one is in a hurry to get home or to a meeting and the stop sign just seems to be pointless. While there are times when some traffic laws may appear to get in the way, fatal accidents can occur when they are not heeded. Recently, two individuals were killed and another critically injured when one of the individuals failed to stop at a stop sign. According to authorities, one of the drivers was traveling west toward an intersection and appears to have legally proceeded to cross through it. Another driver was traveling south toward the same intersection. However, this driver apparently did not stop as required by the…