14-year-old hit by car dies

Sunday, December 23, 2007
© Copyright 2013 Newton Citizen

CONYERS - A 14-year-old boy died Saturday from injuries he received Friday when he ran into a busy roadway to retrieve his skateboard.

RCSO spokeswoman Sgt. Jodi Shupe said Ronald Briggs suffered severe head injuries in the accident. He died Saturday evening at Egleston Children's Hospital in Atlanta.

According to the incident report filed by the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, the boy was walking down the side of Sigman Road near its intersection with Callaway Crossing with four of his friends shortly after 6 p.m. Friday when he lost control of his skateboard and it rolled into a lane of traffic.

"(The victim) darted into traffic after the skateboard and was struck by (a) vehicle," RCSO Sgt. Charles Ellington said in the incident report.

The boy was struck by a 30-year-old man driving a 1995 Chrysler Cirrus.

While the driver of the vehicle was arrested for not having a driver's license, Ellington pointed out in his report that "there is no evidence the vehicle contributed to the accident and there is no evidence that the driver could have avoided striking (the victim.)"

Briggs was transported by ambulance to Rockdale Medical Center and later transferred to Egleston.

Shupe said Saturday that the sheriff's office will test the driver to see if he was impaired by drugs or alcohol, a standard procedure in cases like this. She said further charges against the man may be pending.

Aimee A. Jones can be reached at aimee.jones@rockdalecitizen.com.

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