Fewer Accidents But More Fatalities Reported In Georgia Over Memorial Day Weekend

Update: The Department of Public Safety has revised the total fatalities to reflect an additional five from other agencies, raising the total fatalities reported in Georgia for the Memorial Day weekend to 17.

Although there was a significant reduction in traffic accidents reported in Georgia over the Memorial Day weekend compared to 2010, a greater number of those resulted in deaths, according to figures released by the Georgia Department of Public Safety Tuesday.

Of the 273 traffic accidents worked by Georgia State Patrol posts in the 78 hours from the official start of the Memorial Day weekend at 6 p.m. Friday until midnight Monday, there were 273 accidents resulting in 177 injuries and 12 deaths. There were 15 fatalities in the state with all agencies reporting. Included in the fatalities were two reported by the Monroe GSP post in Walton County with the on Ozora Church Road north of Loganville Monday night that killed two Lawrenceville men, Jacob Reagan, 22, and Rajesh Persaud, 20.

In 2010, there were 2,143 accidents with 945 injuries but only five fatalities. 

reported a total of 108 accidents with no injuries in the county, six with injuries, six with possible injuries and one with entrapment.

“There were 121 total accidents,” said GCPD spokesman Cpl Edwin Ritter. “Only one of these was a minor accident in Loganville. There were no others reported in unincorporated Grayson or Loganville within Gwinnett County.”

It was also a quiet Memorial Day weekend for police in Loganville city limits according to s Lt. John Fain.

“There were no serious accidents at all in the city and the motorcycle ride off without a hitch,” Fain said.

The Ride for America began the 2011 Memorial Day event from American Legion Post 233 on Highway 78 in Loganville with 743 motorcycles heading out on Highway 78 towards Monroe, down to Madison and then returning to the post.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety keeps a record of the total number of crashes, injuries and fatalities for the Memorial Day, July Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday travel periods every year, updating it every six hours during the period.