MARIETTA, Ga. — Police say a young mother driving a minivan crashed through a fence Sunday afternoon and killed a man walking on the sidewalk.
Late Sunday night police identified man as Joe Lewis Burns, 78, of Marietta.
Police told Channel 2's Liz Artz that the young mother accused of veering off of the road and hitting him will likely face charges.
"Help me! Help me! I'm staying right here! Help me! Help me!" is what Amy Jallow said she heard after the wreck.
Investigators said a silver Chrysler minivan veered off Franklin Road in Cobb County Sunday, jumped the curb and killed Burns who was standing on the sidewalk.
Police say Ashley Mitchell, 18, was driving the van.
Inside were a 16-year-old passenger and Mitchell's 3-year-old daughter.
The van went down an embankment and stopped after it crashed into a tree.
"They need to slow down they need to slow down," Jallow said.
Cobb County police are still investigating what caused Mitchell to lose control, but they say a slew of charges could be leveled against her including vehicular homicide.
"It's happened more than once in the last few years," said William Misenhamer, who lives along Franklin Road.
Police did not have an exact number, but the lead investigator on the case, Brian Wallace, said there have been several deadly accidents on the stretch of Franklin Road during the past several years.
The roads were wet at the time of the crash and police don't know if the wreck is weather related, a case of a distracted driver or something else.
Neighbors who have previously witnessed similar scenes think something needs to be done.
"They need to slow down. Put something up sign or something to make them slow down," Jallow said.
"If you're going to go on foot you need to watch out all around you at all times," Misenhamer said.
Mitchell, her daughter and the 16-year-old were all taken to the hospital after the wreck.
Police say at last check Mitchell was in stable condition. All three are expected to be OK.
WSBTV
