Hit-and-Run Crashes Are a Growing Share of Roadway Deaths

Under Georgia law, drivers who leave the scene of a fatal crash commit a felony, as outlined in Georgia Code § 40-6-270. This trend is moving in the wrong direction nationwide. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published research using federal crash data that showed hit-and-run crashes killed 2,872 people in the United States in 2023 — about 7% of all crash deaths, the highest share ever recorded. Federal data showed 2,972 deaths in 2022, an all-time high and roughly double the 1,469 recorded a decade earlier in 2012. On average, law enforcement reports about 682,000 hit-and-run crashes nationwide each year.

Hit-and-run crashes most often leave pedestrians and bicyclists behind without protection. The same research found that nearly two-thirds of those killed in hit-and-run crashes are pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pedestrian deaths remain elevated despite some signs of improvement. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) estimates that 7,148 pedestrians died nationwide in 2024, and preliminary data for the first half of 2025 showed 3,024 pedestrian deaths — about 16 people per day on average, but an 11% decline from the same period the year before, marking the largest drop since GHSA began tracking numbers.

Why Suburban Arterials Like Covington Highway Are Dangerous After Dark

Covington Highway is a wide, high-volume arterial that runs east from Decatur through DeKalb County, lined with shopping centers, apartment complexes, bus stops, and side streets. Roads built with this design — multiple travel lanes, higher posted speeds, long gaps between signalized crossings — carry a lot of traffic efficiently, but they are difficult to cross safely on foot, especially at night.

Metro Atlanta pedestrian fatalities commonly involve a combination of a multi-lane road, darkness, and a long distance to the nearest marked crosswalk. This pattern has appeared repeatedly in DeKalb, Fulton, and Clayton counties over the past year. Although investigators have not established the facts of this specific crash, this recurring pattern explains why these corridors often appear in fatality reports.

For Fayette County residents, this crash happened roughly 40 miles from Tyrone, on the opposite side of the metro area. However, similar road designs with comparable risks to pedestrians exist closer to home along stretches of Highway 85, Highway 54, and Tara Boulevard.

What a Hit-and-Run Death Can Mean for a Georgia Family

When a driver flees and police never identify them, families often assume they have no path to accountability. But that assumption is not always correct.

Georgia’s wrongful death statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-4-1 and following, allows certain family members—a surviving spouse first, then children, then parents, then the estate—to bring a claim for the “full value of the life of the decedent.” Georgia measures that value broadly, including not only lost income but also the intangible worth of the life itself from the decedent’s perspective. The estate can bring a separate claim to cover medical bills, funeral expenses, and any conscious pain and suffering before death.

In cases involving unidentified drivers, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage often becomes the central issue. Georgia law addresses situations where drivers at fault remain unknown, and a household’s own UM coverage may apply. However, these claims carry specific notice requirements and evidentiary rules, including corroboration standards when there is no identified vehicle. Families in this position generally benefit from obtaining the police report promptly and preserving any nearby business surveillance or dashcam footage early, as such evidence often overwrites within days.

Investigators frequently develop hit-and-run fatality cases over weeks by reviewing camera footage, vehicle debris, and public tips. Anyone who traveled on Covington Highway near Thicket Way late Wednesday night might hold details that identify the driver.