18 killed on Atlanta streets between April and June, new commission reviewing fatal crashes finds

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Wednesday, the City of Atlanta held its first fatal crash review commission meeting, reviewing 16 fatal crashes in Atlanta from April to June.

“It was emotionally exhausting just to think about how many were killed on our street in just one quarter of the year and this was a relatively good year,” said Rebecca Serna, executive director of Propel ATL, a transit advocacy group in Atlanta.

The commission includes representatives from the Atlanta City Council, the Atlanta Police Department, the Atlanta Department of Transportation, the Georgia Department of Transportation, other city departments and transit advocates.

The board spent roughly two hours reviewing 16 fatal car crashes that took the lives of 18 people in Atlanta during the second quarter of 2024.

Six of the fatal crashes were located within what Serna considers the city’s high-injury network.

Of those who were killed was Tamara Taylor, 43, who died during a police pursuit in southwest Atlanta.

In early April, Georgia State Patrol said troopers tried to stop a pick-up truck on I-285 when the driver started driving recklessly and eventually got on Campbellton Road. According to officials, the driver ran a red light and hit Taylor’s car.

“It wasn’t worth a life, an innocent life,” Charles Atkins, Taylor’s father, said at the time. “All because of a chase.”

Others killed on Atlanta streets included multiple motorcyclists, one young man on a scooter, pedestrians and passengers.

The commission is tasked with examining the root causes of these crashes, analyzing street design issues, and offering potential solutions to improving pedestrian and driver safety citywide.

For each incident, the board reviewed potential recommendations, including immediate actions taken after the crash, short-term recommendations, and long-term recommendations.

“I hope (the commission) will do a lot of important work. I don’t want this to become a book of recommendations,” said Councilmember Dustin Hillis.

Serna said one of the major takeaways from reviewing this set of fatal crashes was the three deaths tied to Georgia State Patrol pursuits within city limits.

“If you’re chasing someone to prevent crime and you’re causing a person to lose their life, that tradeoff is not worth it,” said Serna.

She said the board could potentially make recommendations surrounding state policy changes around police pursuits.

Hillis said the board, which will meet quarterly, will issue its first report this summer.