Recently, a father and son were involved in a fatal motorcycle accident in a town located south of Dalton, Georgia. The men were riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycles down a local road in Rome when they encountered a car backing out of a driveway into the road. The tragic nature of the motorcycle accident caught the attention of a number of local news publications.
Response to the scene included the Georgia State Patrol, Floyd County Police and first responders from the Rome-Floyd Fire Department. Authorities indicated that while the men may have seen the car as they came over a hill, they were unable to stop or navigate in time to avoid the collision. The car’s driver was apparently using the driveway to turn her car around. It is unclear whether the driver saw the motorcycles before they crashed into the rear of the vehicle.
Despite being injured himself, the 19-year-old son was attempting to assist his father, who was having difficulty breathing. A local woman driving by the accident stopped to assist and administered CPR to the father until first responders arrived at the scene.
Although breathing when recovered by emergency service workers, he was pronounced dead in the emergency room of the Floyd Medical Center. The man’s son was treated for undisclosed injuries sustained during the accident, but was released later that evening.
As for now, no criminal charges have been filed in relation to the crash. However, an investigation is still being conducted by the Georgia State Patrol’s fatal wreck investigation team. As the investigation into the motorcycle accident continues, it can only be hoped that the victims’ family finds the strength to cope with their unexpected loss.
This particular incident is the second serious motorcycle accident to occur over the last couple weeks on Georgia’s roads. More than anything, it serves as a pertinent reminder for drivers to be particularly vigilant as the summer draws nearer. Motorcycles are often not the easiest vehicles to see on the road, so extra attention must be paid in order to prevent further tragedy.
Source: Rome News-Tribune, “1 killed 1 injured in Horseleg Creek Road wreck,” Lauren Jones, May 7, 2012
