October 2019 – A-1 Driving Schools | 19 Locations in Atlanta, GA

October 21st, 2019

UGA Student Killed in Hit-and-Run

A Hartwell man faces vehicular homicide charges after slamming head-on into a car driven by a University of Georgia student and then leaving the scene, Athens police said.

The student, identified as 20-year-old junior Drury Anderson Shierling, was killed about 6 a.m. on Timothy Road when the other driver took a curve too fast and crossed into his lane, according to a crash report.

The driver who caused the wreck, identified by police as 51-year-old Edward Lee Stowers, was traveling north from the Inner Loop to Timothy Road when his rented 2018 Ford Fusion crossed the raised median and entered the southbound lanes, authorities said.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Drury Shierling.

Tips And Techniques For Safe Curve Driving

Obey Posted Speed Limits: Speeding is at the top of the list for driving in general and if you don’t obey the rules of the roads; you’ll end up killing you or someone else. If there isn’t a speed limit sign near a curve, use good judgment and decrease your speed.
Stay In Your Lane: When approaching curves always scan ahead and stay between the lane-lines. Do not hug the curve too closely while driving in the outer lane. If you’re driving in the inner lane, try not to drift outward, which will cause an accident.
Decrease In/Accelerate Out: After the midway point of the curve it is good to speed up just a bit. This way you can begin to catch up with the posted speed limit of the area. The opposite is to slow down when entering, which gives you a safer approach by giving the driver more control of the vehicle. Straighten the steering wheel as you come out of the curve.

Tips for regaining control in a skid

If the vehicle does begin to skid on a winding road, drivers mustn’t react with panic when they find that the brakes, accelerator, and steering wheel aren’t working as usual.

Instead, they should take their feet off the brake and accelerator. Both hands should remain loose on the steering wheel, but not make any sudden movements.

The critical thing is to avoid oversteering and hitting the brakes too hard. After the vehicle has had time to slow down, regain control safely; gently apply the brake and begin steering again.

To stay safe on the road consider taking a defensive driving class. A-1 offers classes at 19 locations where you can learn more tricks and tips such as these!

October 21st, 2019

Alpharetta Police Clocked Driver Going 131 Miles Per Hour on Ga. 400

According to police, when they chased the driver, he accelerated even faster and his car went airborne across McFarland Parkway, struck a median and flipped over a guardrail.

Below is the information about the incident from the Alpharetta department’s Facebook page:

“While this driver is facing several charges, we’re so very thankful we didn’t have to deliver a fatality notification to his, or anyone else’s family.

“One of our DUI Officers clocked this Volvo traveling 131 mph, heading north on GA 400 through Alpharetta near Haynes Bridge Road. Our officer tried to catch up and stop the car, but once the driver saw the blue lights, he accelerated faster and per our officer, “He tried to exit at McFarland Pkwy but was going too fast, went airborne across McFarland, hit the concrete median, and flipped over the guardrail. He was able to walk out”.

Charges include DUI, Open Container of Alcohol, Reckless Driving, Speeding, Fleeing and Eluding from Law Enforcement.

How do you keep a car from going airborne? The true answer is that you have to slow down!

Georgia State law also requires clinical evaluation and the attendance of a DUI / Risk Reduction Program that’s certified/licensed by the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services before your driver’s license can be reinstated if you have been charged with any of the following:

DUI
Drug Possession
Other drug offenses
Under-age possession of drugs or alcohol

Before getting behind the wheel after having a few, consider the many reasons why you should not.

For more information about DUI School visit www.a1drivingschools.com or call (770) 962-9555!

October 11th, 2019

Twin 3-Year-Old Girls Found Dead in Hot Vehicle

The girls in foster care were found dead in a hot vehicle in Georgia, according to a statement by the City of Hinesville.

The statement said someone called 911 at 1:42 p.m. to report that two children who’d been missing had been found unresponsive in a vehicle in the backyard of a home.

First responders arrived and found the two deceased toddlers inside. The temperature was around 92 degrees Fahrenheit at the time, according to CNN Weather.

The girls, Raelynn and Payton Keyes, and according to Whitney Morris-Reed, public relations manager for the City of Hinesville. Police said the girls didn’t reside at the house where they were found but often spent time there.

“A search warrant for the home was obtained and GBI was contacted to assist with the investigation,” according to the city’s statement. “A crime scene unit processed the scene with the assistance from GBI and the bodies of the children were removed from the scene and taken to the crime lab. Autopsies will be performed on Monday, September 30.”

Captain Tracey Howard with Hinesville police told CNN that it’s too early in the investigation to determine how the children ended up inside the car.

The girls had been living with their foster parents and two other siblings for about a year and a half.

Why leaving children in a hot car is dangerous:

There is no safe amount of time to leave any child in a car alone! Every 10 days in the U.S. a child dies when left alone in the car. The temperature in a car rises rapidly in the first 30 minutes, even on a cool day. Additionally, leaving the car windows open or cracking them open does not allow enough air into the vehicle.

If a child is overheating, they will present some or all of these symptoms:

Agitation
Disorientation
Dizziness
Nausea
Rapid breathing
Seizure
Unconsciousness
Vomiting

A child’s body warms up 3-5 times faster than an adult’s body!

Do you want to learn more about safe driving practices?

These and many more are tips and tricks that are taught at A-1 Driving School! You can apply to be a safe driver in a car today. There is a lot of very useful and informative information in the class that you can apply to your daily driving habits.

For more information about class schedules or to see A-1’s 19 convenient locations call (770)962-9555 or visit us at www.a1drivingschools.com!

October 11th, 2019

Man Injured in Suspected Drunk Driving Hit-and-Run, Macon

A 38-year-old man was injured in a crash on the 5400 block of Mount Church Road in Macon.

Brittany Boyd has been charged with DUI and hit and run causing injuries.

According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Boyd was driving a Ford Expedition with two passengers along Mount Pleasant Church Road at around 5:30 p.m. when she crashed into a Honda Oddysey. A 38-year-old man in the Odyssey was injured in the crash.

Boyd is accused of driving away from the scene of the crash. A witness followed Boyd’s vehicle and contacted the sheriff’s office. Deputies responded to the call and found Boyd on Griffin’s Hill Road. Part of the Honda Odyssey was still stuck on Boyd’s vehicle.

Boyd was arrested. The man who was injured was brought to The Medical Center, Navicent Health and was listed in stable condition. No one else was injured in the crash.

We are glad to hear that there were no serious injuries involved in this accident.

Georgia State law also requires a clinical evaluation and the attendance of a DUI / Risk Reduction Program that’s certified/licensed by the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services before your driver’s license can be reinstated if you have been charged with any of the following:

DUI
Drug Possession
Other drug offenses
Under-age possession of drugs or alcohol

Before getting behind the wheel after having a few, consider the many reasons why you should not.

For more information about DUI School visit www.a1drivingschools.com or call (770) 962-9555!

October 4th, 2019

Ex-Forsyth County Deputy Faces DUI After Showing up Drunk to 9/11 Luncheon

A Forsyth County deputy who was fired after allegedly going to a luncheon Sept. 11 while drunk was arrested on a DUI charge, authorities confirmed.

Gregory Martin Cannon, 46, was fired Sept. 13 after another deputy reported the incident internally, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Doug Rainwater told AJC.com.

Cannon was confronted by sheriff’s office commanders “within minutes of the notification” at the 9/11 luncheon, Rainwater said.

Police believe Cannon, 46, “drove a county car to work” while intoxicated, Forsyth County News reported.

Cannon was placed on administrative leave and taken for an alcohol test. He was fired two days later.

He had no disciplinary history, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council records.

“Agency policy clearly prohibits the use of alcohol on duty and sets strong standards of conduct for off duty actions of its employees as well,” the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said in a release. “Citizens of Forsyth County deserve the highest level of professionalism and any employee using alcohol on duty has betrayed that trust and will be held accountable.”

Cannon had been a deputy with the agency since 2007, the sheriff’s office said.

It goes to show that no one is above the law!

Georgia State law requires a clinical evaluation and the attendance of the DUI program that’s certified/licensed by the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services before your driver’s license can be reinstated if you have been charged with any of the following:

DUI
Drug Possession
Other drug offenses
Under-age possession of drugs or alcohol

For more information visit www.a1drivingschools.com or call (770) 962-9555!