At least 10 dead on Georgia roads over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend

The Georgia Department of Public Safety said at least 10 people have died in traffic accidents in Georgia since the start of the July 4 holiday weekend. Several of those deaths occurred in northeast Georgia.

The department reports that state police officials investigated fatal crashes in Hartwell, Madison, Forest Park, Newnan, Lafayette, Valdosta and Athens. Local police reported deaths in Henry County, Columbia County and Albany.

Deaths in Northeast Georgia

The first death occurred in northeast Georgia within hours of the start of the long holiday weekend travel season.

According to state police, 23-year-old Keegan Polnaszek of Elbert County was a passenger in a Ford Ranger that crashed on Nickville Road on July 3. The truck, driven by 22-year-old Aidan Polnaszek, also of Elbert County, left the roadway, rolled several times and struck a tree.

The medical examiner pronounced Keegan Polnaszek dead at the scene. An ambulance took the driver to Piedmont Athens Regional with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Georgia State Patrol’s Special Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting officers at Post 52 in Hartwell with their investigation. They are still investigating the accident and have not yet filed any charges.

On July 6, a motorcyclist was killed near Athens when a Ford Super Duty pickup truck backed in front of him, the State Patrol reports. The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the truck. Steven Hickman of Colbert died at the scene.

The holiday travel reporting period begins at 6:00 p.m. on July 3 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 7.