ATLANTA, Ga. — Dashcam video shows the moment a semi-truck crashed into a vehicle Friday afternoon in Dekalb County sending the victim to the hospital.
The victim’s mother, Helen Lewis-Gurganious, spoke with a local news station about the crash revealing that it is the second time a semi-truck has caused an accident in her family. A previous incident took the lives of her loved ones.
The crash happened Friday afternoon at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Rays Road. The driver, Keith Lamont Richardson Jr., 29, was preparing to make a left turn when the truck slammed into him.
“They [held] the phone up to him and all I could see was blood coming out of my son’s mouth,” Lewis-Gurganious said. “He’s bleeding and his car was smashed like a trashcan.”
The semi-truck hit the car with so much power that it dragged the vehicle completely across the intersection. First responders took the victim to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment where doctors found a blood clot in his head from the accident.
“I’ve seen the video, and I’ve cried, and I’ve cried,” Lewis-Gurganious said. “It’s horrible.”
According to the Dekalb County Police Department, the driver of the semi-truck lost control after hitting Richardson Jr.’s car and then fled the scene of the accident. Dashcam video provided by a witness, Shishir Nair, helped identify the trucking company as My Way Trucking in Tucker, Ga.
According to local media, a woman who identified herself as the owner of the company said that the driver had a medical emergency. She also stated that when the driver realized what had happened, he pulled over and contacted local law enforcement. The driver was cited for the accident and leaving the scene of an accident.
Lewis-Gurganious said that the accident brought back the trauma of losing two family members after they were hit by a semi-truck.
“They need to slow down,” Lewis-Gurganious said. “Pay attention to your surroundings. Pay attention to what’s in front of you. You are not the only ones on the road.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
That driver should never be allowed anywhere near another motor vehicle ever again. I hope the car’s driver takes every single cent that crapbag and everyone in his entire family down to his great great grandchildren could ever even hope to have. He should never own another thing in his life.