Fatal Wreck at East Ponce and Commerce This Morning
Decatur Metro | September 2, 2008I’m hearing word from readers about a fatal car accident at the intersection of East Ponce and Commerce this morning.
WABE and WSB radio have reported that there were three cars involved including an overturned van and that all lanes of Ponce were blocked.
Scott writes in with a first hand account. “…it was complete mayhem. Decatur cops had what looked like E Ponce, from Glennwood Academy to Candler, shut down and taped off. All the traffic was being diverted…”
I’m looking into it. If you’ve heard or seen anything else, please comment or write in.
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I got caught up in the traffic caused by wreck this morning. On NPR, I heard that the wreck involved a fatality. Immediately I considered the number of children walking to various schools, Decatur Pres., United Methodist, Glenlake are all right there. My thoughts and prayers go to the family of the fatality. We can only hope that this tragedy will cause all drivers to pause and consider the results of aggressive driving. Furthermore, let’s all hope that law enforcement will crack down on speeders throughout the city.
My husband got caught up in the traffic snarl, taking my son to Glennwood this morning….he said a vehicle was still on its side in the road, and another car’s passenger side was completely smashed in. Sounds really bad.
According to an AJC article, the driver that was killed was ejected. No seat belt?
Someone must have been going fast…that’s not really a high speed area (although the roads are designed for high speed)
We had to pass by the area several times today while walking our children to school. We were VERY appreciative that so much area was blocked off because it was an incredibly disturbing sight for young eyes…or old ones for that matter. We are also thankful that the Decatur Police and Fire Departments were helping direct traffic and assisting pedestrians across the streets. We will have the families of those involved in our thoughts and prayers.
Not having seen any remnants or anything else about the accident, I can’t specifically comment, but the remarks implying that speed may have been the cause could be jumping to conclusions. It could have been a simple running of a red light. Even 25 or 30 mph can make a severe accident. A few months back, I witnessed an accident that was a broadside at less than 30 mph and the SUV that was broadsided by a smaller sedan rolled twice, even though it was struck at a relatively low speed.
Here’s a link to the AJC article “new” referenced…though not much more info than the fatality was “ejected from the vehicle”.
I have to agree with ‘chad wall’ and ‘new’ regarding speed at that intersection. It is dangerous especially with both directions on Commerce having slightly hidden or deceiving curves in the road. When I drove past his morning MARTA police were also involved directing traffic. This afternoon there was obvious evidence of an accident. There of course is spray paint marking the layout of the vehicles and the metal lamp post is defaced with scratches, I’d say climbing up the pole at least 5 feet. This was a horrific scene to see even after the clean up. Regardless if running a red light played a role there is no way simply based on post accident evidence that someone could say speed did not unnecessarily take the life of someone today. I do not have children walking the streets to school, but I do see them daily crossing that intersection without a guard on duty. As a Decatur citizen I strongly encourage and support the parents who will speak loudly about the safety of their children at all cross sections. This could have been worse had a loaded school been in the intersection at the time of impact.
I jog in the mornings and I had to miss this accident actually occurring by about 10 minutes. By the time I got to the intersection, it was already taped off. The intersection was closed to both cars and pedestrians.
The Decatur Police did a very professional job of keeping people and kids away from the scene. And that van had to be clobbered.
There is nothing more sobering than seeing a white sheet covering someone’s loved one. Prayers are definitely with their loved ones.
The intersection at Commerce and East Ponce is a dangerous one. The right turn onto Commerce, heading north is tight. The left turn from Commerce to East Ponce, heading east, can be dangerous, especially when a person speeds up to make the light.
For what it’s worth, here’s the official press release from Decatur PD…
On Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at approximately 0627 hours, the Decatur Police Department received a report of a traffic accident with injuries at the intersection of Commerce Drive and East Ponce De Leon Ave. Upon officers’ arrival, they found three vehicles involved in the accident. The driver of one of the vehicles was ejected and was deceased on the scene. Another driver was transported to an area hospital for treatment. This incident is being investigated by the Decatur Police Department.
It’s been a long time since there was a traffic fatality in Decatur.
Thanks…I have been combing the news looking for more info and haven’t found anything. There is plenty of spray paint at the intersection where they must have recreated the scene. My Glennwood student had already heard rumors about a dead body on the street when she got home from school yesterday. I just offered my “seatbelt mantra” and tried to console her.
I found the results of this crash around 10:00 AM while out walking with my son. We were on our way to the playground and the SUV was still on its side; the other two cars, one of which seemed hardly damaged, were still present. A black gate had been erected along the driver’s side of the overturned SUV. Police were stationed at all four corners.
Two hours later, we walked across the scene again on our way home. We caught the clean-up crew. This was when I knew for sure that this must have been a fatal accident. I had never seen anything like this before.
My thoughts have been with the families involved since I saw this haunting scene.
How tragic.
Wanted to kick this back to the top and see if anyone has heard any more about this accident? Walking across that crosswalk with the red paint and the sandblasted area where the deceased was lying is extremely troubling. I still can’t figure out how it happened other than it seems like maybe someone was turning left from commerce onto ponce heading east, while someone coming from ponce turned onto commerce going north. No idea what really happened or if the victim(s) was local. Anyone have any insights?
Bo, my wife walked across the intersection this morning and had a similar theory based upon damage she observed along the curbs.
I also want to find out more. I keep wondering if it was someone local. Worries me so much, thinking about all the schoolchildren who walk through there everyday.
According to Decatur PD, the accident is still under investigation so no accident report is being released at this time.
this tragedy has been on my mind a lot too.
Unfortunately, I do know that it was a 17 or 18yr old young man that was killed on his way to work. He has two younger siblings that attend Winnona Elementary. I was told he was a very kind young man. I also was told that it was apparently a drunk driver that caused the accident. Please pray for his family.
That is devastating to hear. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
I live right at that intersection and was awoken by the horrible sound of the accident, no tire screeching, just a loud slam.
My theory is that someone was coming down ponce (from the farmer’s market area towards the square) and was looking ahead at the light at N. Candler instead of Commerce. When you are going up the hill towards Commerce, the traffic light gets hidden from view by a tree. If you aren’t paying close attention, it’s easy to get confused and look at the wrong traffic light.
I feel strongly that the tree should be trimmed so it does not obstruct the light AND/OR they install a flashing strobe red light at all sides of the intersection (the kind that are in between the two traffic lights). This will help draw attention to the traffic light at that intersection. I’ve lived at that intersection for 2 years and this is at least the 3rd, if not 4th or 5th, accident.
Anyone else have thoughts on that theory?
We’re still waiting on the completion of the official investigation and resulting police report. Anything other than that is conjecture.
Nothing wrong with conjecture as long as its labeled as such (which it is). I agree the tree blocks the light. Depending on what the police report says, perhaps it needs to be trimmed.
that was my older brother who get in the car accident. his name is Abbas HAssan and he was in his last year of high school. i hope who sow the accident could tell us what happen. that woman killed my brother should go to jail. she took the live of young boy and she should pay for that or at least she should tell us the true. THE LAST TIME WE HEARD HIS VOIC WAS AT 9-02-08 around 6:00 to 6:10 and he get killed at09-02-08 around 6:30. i ask God to show as the true and forgiveness for both who died and who is alive.
My condolences for your loss Farduwsa.
I still haven’t heard anything about a police report, but I will post it if and when it becomes available.
Over on inDecatur, Peggy Merriss confirms the identity and give more details.
http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/in_decatur/2008/10/now-we-know-who.html#comments
I wished If they didn’t write that. but thx for the web