SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
Authorities continue to seek the public’s assistance in identifying the driver involved in a Tuesday evening fatal hit and run.
A Griffin man, 37-year-old Shawn Wright, was struck and killed while riding his bicycle.
“The bicyclist was traveling northbound on Old Atlanta Road, and he was north of Vineyard Road. At some point, an unknown vehicle struck him, and he died at the scene as a result of the injuries he sustained in the collision,” he said.
According to Mims, the incident was reported by a nearby resident.
“It happened in front of those trailers right there in the curve. Someone heard it, and he looked out the window. He saw a bicycle laying off the roadway, so he got out and looked a little more. It was dark, so he was out with his flashlight when he saw him (Wright) laying off the roadway. He immediately called 911,” Mims said.
Deputies of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office along with GSP personnel responded to the scene, where evidence was collected. This has enabled investigators assigned to the GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) to identify the vehicle believed to have caused Wright’s death.
“At the scene, we collected vehicle parts and paint. We’ve got a confirmation on what kind of vehicle it is,” Mims, an SCRT investigator, said. “It’s possibly a 2001 to 2007 Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country. It’s red in color – a dark red pearl. It has damage to the right headlight area and possibly the hood.”
As of late Wednesday, no arrest had been made.
“We still have an active search going on now looking for it. We’re still actively looking. We’re getting a lot of calls from people – we’ve been running from call to call as we’re getting a lot of help from the public – but we haven’t found that van yet,” Mims said.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Georgia State Patrol at 770.229.3410, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office at 770.467.4282 or 911.