Posted December 23, 2009

By Larry Hartstein, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A 32-year-old Lawrenceville woman has been charged with felony hit and run and DUI in an Interstate 85 crash that injured 13 developmentally disabled adults and their bus driver Wednesday.

Joy Christine Wilson was being held without bond at the Gwinnett County Jail. Additional charges are expected.

Witnesses told police Wilson was driving erratically, changing lanes frequently to bypass cars, before causing the 11:45 a.m. wreck in the northbound lanes just north of Pleasant Hill Road. Her black 1999 Honda Accord hit the back of a small bus operated by Norcross-based Just People Inc., and the bus lost control, police said. The bus skidded across several lanes and flipped on its side before colliding with the guardrail and righting itself.

The wreck shut down I-85 northbound for about three hours and left three people in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, nine others with serious injuries and two with minor injuries.

Five passengers were ejected. One was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center. Most of the injured were taken to Gwinnett Medical Center.

Wilson pulled over briefly following the accident, but left before police arrived, Gwinnett police spokesman Officer Brian Kelly said. An hour later she was apprehended as she attempted to return to the scene.

A family member, said Kelly, convinced her to turn herself in. At the same time, police found her car in an unincorporated area of Lawrenceville.

“Wilson was taken into custody at Satellite and Steve Reynolds Boulevard,” said Kelly.

According to its Web site, Just People “provides a wide variety of support services to adults with developmental disabilities.”

The bus was taking “special-needs individuals to an art class in Hoschton,” said Kelly.

The person answering the phone at the Just People office Wednesday afternoon said the agency had no comment on the wreck.

 By Staten Island Advance

November 26, 2009

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A 77-year-old woman seriously injured when she and her husband were mowed down by a hit-and-run driver while walking to attend mass at a New Dorp church has died from her injuries.

Lillian Sabados was pronounced dead at Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, at 4 this morning. Her husband, Peter S. Sabados, 78, was pronounced dead shortly after the 7:15 p.m. accident in front of our Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church.

Early this morning, Allmir Lekperic, 26, of Dellwood Road, was arrested, accused of being behind the wheel of the white Ford Econoline van that slammed into the couple while they crossed New Dorp Lane at Third Street to get to the church.

Lekperic allegedly fled along New Dorp toward Richmond Road.

He is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended license.

Posted November 16, 2009

By Chattanoogan.com

Chattanooga Police have charged Roger D. Strickland, 26, of Chattanooga with leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a revoked driver’s license after he allegedly hit a child on a bicycle, then fled the scene.

The incident happened Monday night at 800 E. 48th Street.

Police officers responded on a child struck at 812 E 48th. On their arrival, officers found a five-year-old boy had been struck while riding his bicycle. The child had a few abrasions on his leg. However, he was transported to T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital to be checked out. He had only minor injuries.

Police said Strickland left the scene and was apprehended a couple of blocks over by fugitive investigators.

He was booked at the Hamilton County Jail.