Category: Driving News

A man accused of killing a man standing on the shoulder of I-85 while trying to avoid a traffic stop is in police custody and facing a litany of charges, including felony murder in Gwinnett County.

The Georgia State Patrol said Victor Allen Smith, 55, led a trooper on a pursuit after trying to avoid a traffic stop.

The trooper activated their patrol car lights, officials said, and the driver sped off north into Gwinnett County, weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed. Georgia State Patrol said it lost control south of Jimmy Carter Boulevard on I-85.

That’s when troopers said the driver skidded into the east shoulder and emergency lane where Martinez and the wrecker driver were standing.

Hugo N. Martinez, 22, died in the collision. Officials said a wrecker had just finished loading his broken-down car on I-85 north. The driver of the wrecker was able to jump over a concrete barrier, officials said and avoided being hit.

Smith faces several charges, including traffic offenses:

• Speeding
• Improper Lane Change
• Fleeing and Attempting to Elude
• HOV Violation
• Driving While License Suspended or Revoked
• DUI Drugs/Less Safe
• Reckless Driving
• Felony Murder
• Homicide by Vehicle (1st Degree)
• Driving in the Emergency Lane
• Too Fast for Conditions
• Failure to Maintain Lane
• Following Too Closely

Smith is in Gwinnett County Jail without bond.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Hugo Martinez.

Speeding causes accidents!

Whether you are 15 and in need of taking the course or 45 and you just want to brush up on the rules and regulations of driving, A-1 Driving School is here to help!

DUI Laws | What You Need to Know

The laws make it illegal for drivers of all ages to operate motor vehicles if they have BAC percentages of:

• 0.08% or higher, if they’re 21 years old or older operating regular passenger vehicles.
• 0.04% or higher, if they’re operating commercial vehicles.
• 0.02% or higher, if they’re younger than 21 years old.

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:

1. DUI
2. Drug Possession
3. Other drug offenses
4. 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!

Georgia drivers can be charged with DUI if their blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 percent or higher.

When you are arrested for a DUI in Georgia, you’ll have to deal with both a criminal case and a separate license suspension. The Georgia Department of Driver Services will handle your license suspension pursuant to the implied consent laws and the GA criminal courts will prosecute the criminal case.

What happens in court won’t have any bearing on the status of your driver’s license and vice versa.

The Georgia courts impose criminal penalties including:

• Fines
• Jail time;
• Public service.

The Department of Driver Services imposes administrative penalties including:

• Suspension or revocation of your license.

The higher your BAC, the more severe your penalties may be. Multiple convictions will also result in harsher sentences.

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:

1. DUI
2. Drug Possession
3. Other drug offenses
4. Under-age possession of drugs or alcohol

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

Road test typically takes about 20 to 30 minutes. After you pass the test, there may be an additional wait time at the DMV to process your paperwork, take your picture, and issue a license once you pass.

Skip the DMV! We now offer onsite road testing at select A-1 Driving School locations.

A-1 Onsite Road Testing Qualifications

• 16 & 17-year-old students must have completed the classroom or online 30-hour Joshua’s Law course + 6 hours of driving lessons at A-1 Driving Schools.
• 18-year-old students do not have to have taken classes with us. Must have a valid Georgia Driver’s permit.

Under Georgia’s current hands-free law, it is illegal for motorists to be on the phone while at a red light or stop sign. In fact, it is illegal for drivers to touch their phones unless parked.

Now one lawmaker wants to change that. State Sen. Frank Ginn said it should also be okay to send a quick text or read your email while stopped at a light or stop sign.

“The car is not moving, when you’re perfectly still you can pick up the phone,” said State Sen. Frank Ginn.

Sen. Ginn said he’s 100% against distracted drivers but said when one is at a full stop it should be okay to pick up the phone.

Sen.  Ginn voted for the hands-free law back in 2018. Now he wants to amend it a bit. He said he’s heard from a number of constituents who have been cited for texting at a stop sign or light.

“You may pull up to a stop sign and there’s nobody there.  Today it’s illegal to pull out your phone and look at a text message or whatever. I don’t like to make criminals out of our citizens,” said Sen. Ginn.

Sen. Ginn said the important thing to remember is to hang up when the light turns green.

The bill has been assigned to the Public Safety Committee and is on the agenda for review.

The “get out of jail free” provision allows motorists to demonstrate they intended to comply with the law in the future. It’s hard to tell how many citations have been dismissed because of it, but last year The AJC found it was used thousands of times a year in Atlanta alone.

Defensive driving participants learn about the current rules of the road and how to operate their vehicles more safely in today’s increasingly challenging driving environment.

Topics include:

• Maintaining proper following distance
• Minimizing the effect of dangerous blind spots
  Limiting driver distractions such as eating, smoking, and cell phone use
• Properly using safety belts, airbags, and all car features
• Effects of medications on driving
• Maintaining physical flexibility
• Monitoring the driving skills and capabilities of yourself and others

There is a lot of very useful and informative information offered in our classes and it will apply whether you have been driving for years or you are a brand new driver!

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!

A Habersham County deputy has been fired after the sheriff’s office arrested him for a DUI.

The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office said Scott Lilly was arrested around 1:30 a.m.

Lilly is accused of driving home from a party the next county over in Banks County. The sheriff’s office said he was pulled over on New Liberty Road by another deputy who thought he was driving impaired.

The sheriff’s office said the car Lilly was driving was his personal car and not a county vehicle.

Lilly faces one count of DUI, one count of reckless driving, and one count of failure to maintain a lane.

The next step for Lilly is to complete 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 his driver’s license can be reinstated since he has been charged with one of the following:

1. DUI
2. Drug Possession
3. Other drug offenses
4. Under-age possession of drugs or alcohol

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

A report from the U.S. Department of Transportation finds fatalities rose 12 percent from 2020 to 2021 nationwide.

This is the largest increase ever recorded since the department began tracking rates in the ’70s.

Georgia’s fatality rate was just over the national average at 12.2 percent.

Driver behavior has grown increasingly worse during the pandemic, Natalie Dale with GDOT said. He also said law enforcement has reported higher speeds on state roads.

Additionally, about 40 percent of fatalities reported were not wearing a seatbelt.

Dale also said most problems stemmed from lane departures, when a driver may shift into a lane or off a road, due to distracted driving.

“In order for us to get to a place where we’re decreasing in fatalities, it has to be a partnership with both us designing safe roads and taking into account the multiple users of our roads – whether it’s motorists, pedestrians, bicycles – that we all take responsibility for safety,” said Dale.

In Atlanta, poor driver behavior seemed to have the most dangerous effect on pedestrians. The city reported an 88 percent rise in pedestrian fatalities involving a vehicle.

How to prevent distracted driving?

What drivers can do: Do not multitask while driving. Whether it’s adjusting your mirrors, picking the music, eating a sandwich, making a phone call, or reading an email―do it before or after your trip, not during.

What passengers can do: Speak up if you are a passenger in a car with a distracted driver. Ask the driver to focus on driving. Reduce distractions for the driver by assisting with navigation or other tasks.

Defensive driving participants learn about the current rules of the road and how to operate their vehicles more safely in today’s increasingly challenging driving environment.

Topics include:

• Maintaining proper following distance
• Minimizing the effect of dangerous blind spots
  Limiting driver distractions such as eating, smoking, and cell phone use
• Properly using safety belts, airbags, and all car features
• Effects of medications on driving
• Maintaining physical flexibility
• Monitoring the driving skills and capabilities of yourself and others

There is a lot of very useful and informative information offered in our classes and it will apply whether you have been driving for years or you are a brand new driver!

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!

Police said 32-year-old Clarkston resident Damis Lider was driving north in the southbound lines on Ga. 400 and collided with 24-year-old Sandy Springs resident Zoe Robinson. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. There were no other injuries reported, police said.

Lider was driving a blue 2015 Hyundai Sonata and struck Robinson’s blue 2016 Hyundai Sonata.

Sandy Springs patrol officers received multiple reports of a wrong-way driver on Sunday. Officers learned the suspect they were searching for crashed while they were responding.

The scene of the crash was just south of the Roberts Drive overpass.

The Roswell Police Department also responded.

The investigation is ongoing and police ask anyone that might have witnessed this crash to please contact Officer Gilmore at [email protected].

Our condolences to the family and friends of those involved in this fatal accident.

Driving practices and rules that are taught in A-1’s Defensive Driving Class can be applied to be a safe driver. There is a lot of very useful and informative information in the class and it will apply whether you have been driving for years or you are a brand new driver.

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!