ATLANTA — The family of a 27-year-old woman killed in a suspected hit-and-run while riding her bicycle last month says they are still struggling to understand how someone could leave their loved one dying in the middle of a road.
Atlanta police arrested Joshua Anthony Acoff on May 18, weeks after investigators said he crashed into the back of Kasanna Lewis’ bicycle while she was riding along Buford Highway near Sidney Marcus Boulevard on April 25.
Jail records show Acoff is facing several charges, including first-degree homicide by vehicle, felony hit-and-run, following too closely and improper passing.
On Thursday, Channel 2 Action News reporter Michael Seiden spoke by phone with Lewis’ father, Jay Lewis, who lives in Oklahoma.
“Anybody that met her, they would just see how electric her smile was and just how deeply she cared about people,” he said.
“It was just hard to think that somebody could hit her and leave her in the middle of the street to die like that,” he added.
Investigators said it was around 9:30 p.m. April 25 when Atlanta police responded to Buford Highway and Sidney Marcus Boulevard after receiving reports of a hit-and-run involving a bicyclist.
When officers arrived, they found Lewis, but it was too late. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said witnesses and surveillance video helped them identify the suspect vehicle as a white Honda Civic.
Police said a tip later led investigators to an apartment complex on Woodland Avenue, where officers found a car matching that description.
According to the arrest warrant, investigators described the vehicle as having significant front-end damage, including damage to the windshield.
Police also said investigators found what appeared to be blood, hair fibers and clothing fibers on the vehicle.
Channel 2 Action News stopped by Acoff’s apartment to see whether he wanted to comment on the allegations, but no one answered the door.
Lewis’ father said he and his ex-wife, Tina Bartlett, adopted Kasanna at age 2. She was raised in Salina, Kansas, where her family said she was active in her church youth group and participated in the XCEL program at The City Teen Center.
Family members said Lewis moved to Georgia in 2021 to start a new chapter in her life.
Lewis’ father told Channel 2 that she always dreamed of having a family of her own and had a deep love for animals.
In honor of Lewis’ life, her family is asking for donations to The City Teen Center XCEL Program in Salina, Kansas.
You can learn more or donate at thecityteencenter.com.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Train derailment causes traffic disruptions in north Georgia
- Construction worker killed on the job in Ga. 400 crash; driver faces charges
- Teacher accused of having sex with student in closet. Investigators found more victims
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
