The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is investigating an accident involving a pedestrian and a commercial box truck. The accident occurred around 3:35 a.m. on March 20 on Atlanta Highway near the Georgia Square Mall.
The accident occurred only hours after the county commissioners enacted a mandatory “shelter in place” policy to protect residents from the rampant virus.
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Based on the report released by police, 69-year-old Sidney James Batchelor was crossing Atlanta Highway from the RaceTrac parking lot toward the Perimeter Inn Athens. An eastbound box truck struck the man as he was crossing the road.
Batchelor did die from the injuries that he sustained in the accident with the box truck. It was not clear in the report, though, if Batchelor died at the scene of the accident or if he was transported from the scene to an area hospital before death.
The driver of the commercial box truck stayed at the scene of the accident and cooperated with the police. The name of the driver has not been released at this time.
The Motor Carrier Compliance Division was called in to inspect the truck that was involved in the accident, per accident protocol.
At this time, no charges have been filed. This is pending the outcome of the accident investigation being performed by both police and the Motor Carrier Compliance Division. There has not been any speculation about drugs, alcohol, or impairment being factors in the accident.
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