(Buford and Norcross, Georgia)  On Thursday, October 1, the Gwinnett County Police Department Accident Investigation Unit responded to two serious traffic accidents.  Though both of these incidents occurred many miles away from one another, the maneuver of the vehicles was the same:  Failure to Yield While Turning Left.

Incident #1 (15-088528), 10/01/15, 4:39pm:

The driver of a white Toyota Camry was traveling west on Buford Drive preparing to turn left onto Plunketts Road.  The driver of a tractor-trailer was traveling east on Buford Drive.  The driver of the white Toyota turned left in front of the tractor-trailer, and the two vehicles collided.  The driver of the white Toyota suffered from serious injuries and was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment.  Alcohol and speed are not likely to be contributing factors.  Charges may be filed at a later time. 

Incident #2 (15-088581), 10/01/15, 7:19pm:

The driver of a tan Nissan Altima was traveling west on Jimmy Carter Boulevard preparing to turn left onto Hunters Club Lane.  The driver of a motorcycle was traveling east on Jimmy Carter Boulevard.  The driver of the tan Nissan turned left in front of the motorcycle, and the vehicles collided.  The driver of the motorcycle was ejected and suffered from fatal injuries at the scene.  Speed and alcohol are not likely to be contributing factors.  The driver of the tan Nissan, Wanda Berry age 48, was placed under arrest for Vehicular Homicide and Failure to Yield While Turning Left.  She was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail.  Notification has been made to the next-of-kin of the motorcycle driver, Moeez Ul Haq Alvi (age 26) of Lilburn. 

In both these accidents, a driver is accused of failing to yield while turning left.  The terms of this traffic law are below. 

OCGA 40-6-71, Vehicle Turning Left:

The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right of way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard.

With the sun setting earlier and earlier every day, visibility will be reduced.  Don’t take any unnecessary risks while operating a motor vehicle.  The life you could be saving may be your own.