The driver who fled the scene of an Athens hit-and-run accident surrendered to the police. Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said the suspect turned himself in at the Clarke County Jail on Wednesday, October 13th. He identified the hit-and-run driver as Donateris Gresham, 29, of Athens.
According to the ACCPD, the suspect struck and killed a University of Georgia student just after midnight on Saturday, October 9th. The investigators said Gresham was behind the wheel of a Honda accord when he hit 20-year-old Ariana Zarse as she crossed the street with a friend. The collision happened at Broad Street downtown.
Paramedics conveyed the victim to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Her friend did not suffer any injury. The police located the vehicle involved in the Athens hit-and-run that weekend but did not identify the driver. However, on Monday, October 11th, the police issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest after identifying him as Gresham.
The police charged him with 1st-degree vehicular homicide, hit-and-run resulting in severe injuries or death, driving without a valid license, and driving too fast for conditions. Zarse’s death is the 20th fatality from traffic accidents in Athens-Clarke County this year.
When a person dies in a traffic crash, Georgia law allows legal beneficiaries to commence a wrongful death claim. They can do this if their deceased relative is not the person at fault for the accident. If the claim succeeds, the victim’s family will get compensation for monetary and non-monetary damages. If there’s evidence of gross negligence by the fault party, they’ll get punitive damages.
Receiving compensation from the fault party is easier when you work with an attorney. Contact our Georgia auto accident lawyers to learn how we can help you with the claims process.
Source: https://nowhabersham.com/uga-student-killed-in-athens-hit-and-run/
