A local Atlanta man trying to help another motorist was killed last weekend according to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
William Kear, a 61-year-old maintenance supervisor for Georgia Pacific’s Doraville plant, stopped to change a tire on his pickup truck on I-85 near Clairmont Road. Seeing another vehicle pulled over onto the shoulder after hitting a traffic cone, Kear suspected that driver was drunk. Kear walked over to check on the driver. As he was walking back to his car, he was struck and killed by an unknown vehicle.
Kear died later that night at Grady Hospital. By all accounts, Kear was a good person with a reputation for helping others.
Unfortunately, every year, Good Samaritans are injured or killed on the roadways around Atlanta. There are few things to learn from the tragedy that occurred on I-85. When acting as a Good Samaritan, you need to be mindful of your own safety. Also, understand the best way to handle a flat tire. If you are driving and feel a tire go flat, it’s important to pull over to the side of the road, well out of the flow of traffic; if you are confident in your abilities to change the tire, and you have a decent spare and a jack, change the tire. If you lack any of the right items or the experience, it’s safer to put on your safety flashers and call for help. Another way to signal for help is to open the hood of your car and simply wait.
If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of the negligence of another, please call Krause Law Firm for a free consultation.