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Mom's death forces crackdown on raging drivers

ATLANTA, Ga. — A Georgia lawmaker wants the state to get tough on aggressive driving after the death of a Dawson County mother last fall.
 
Twenty-year old Chelsea Gerrish died last October when an aggressive driver swerved into her oncoming lane of traffic on Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville.  He died in the impact as well.
 
Moments before the crash, a couple dialed Hall County 911 when the aggressive driver rammed them in traffic. Channel 2 Action News obtained the recording.
 
"He just hit us," the unidentified caller told the 911 operator. "He keeps hitting us."
 
After the driver swerved into oncoming traffic, the caller witnessed the head on collision with Gerrish.
 
"He just hit somebody head on! No, no, no ,no," the caller said.  "He just hit somebody head on going about 70-miles an hour!"
 
State Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawson County, is sponsoring what he calls "Chelsea's Law" that he said helps law enforcement crack down on aggressive driving.
 
"People lead very busy lives," said Tanner.  "They have a lot of things happening.  They're not focused on driving, and they get angry, and they get in a hurry.  It's an issue."
 
The law would make aggressive driving join DUI and reckless driving as predicating offenses that can lead to a felony charge of serious injury by vehicle.  Under the law, any driver convicted of aggressive driving could be sentenced to anger management course, and anyone convicted a second time would lose their license.
 
GSP Director Col. Mark McDonough supports the idea of the bill but would like to see a better definition of aggressive driving to help his troopers make arrests.