A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 27 between Summerville and Trion, Georgia on Friday morning, marking the fourth pedestrian fatality in the County this year.

A driver travelling southbound on Highway 27 near Dot Johnson Drive around 7:00 that morning struck and killed 57 year-old William M. Lee of Summerville, as he was attempting to cross over the highway.

The Georgia State Patrol Post in Rome is investigating the accident.  Sheriff Mark Schrader said late Friday afternoon that law enforcement is attempting to find video surveillance from nearby businesses to assist state troopers in their investigation.

Sheriff Schrader said that while there have been four pedestrian deaths in about a 3 mile section of Highway 27 this year, there is no common denominator connecting all the deaths.  The sheriff said educating pedestrians on using crosswalks is one factor that could reduce the number of fatalities.  In two of the fatalities, pedestrians were less than 100 feet away from designated crosswalks as they attempted to cross Highway 27.

The first pedestrian death of the year was in March when Roger Bingham attempted to cross Highway 27 near Wal-Mart shortly before 3 AM.  The second was recorded in May of this year near Rossville Boulevard when at 4:13 AM a car hit Crissy Trapp who was lying in the roadway.  Another pedestrian death happened in July of this year when Jeremy Paul Crump was struck and killed near Greeson Street as he attempted to cross over Highway 27.   That accident happened at 9:50 PM.

The Georgia State Patrol has not released a final report on Friday’s accident.

(WZQZ Chattooga County Radio)