Latest news with #SeckingerHighSchool
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Retired deputy dies at home, three months after horrific car crash. I-Team found it might have been prevented
The Brief Patricia Carper, 64, died at home last month, 15 weeks after a one-vehicle crash in Gwinnett County left her and her husband trapped overnight in an overturned Dodge Caravan. An investigation by the FOX 5 I-Team, aired in March while Carper was still hospitalized, found the wreck might have been prevented. Before the Feb. 4 crash, the head football coach at nearby Seckinger High School had been lobbying Gwinnett County Transportation to install a barrier at the end of the road, but the county backed away after the new city of Mulberry formed. Mulberry, though, doesn't have a roads department. Carper's daughter says she never recovered from the wreck and blames the dangerous road for her mother's death. MULBERRY, Ga. - What happened to Patricia and Walt Carper had happened multiple times before on West Rock Quarry Road. And it might have been prevented, a FOX 5 I-Team investigation found. For months before the crash, the head football coach at nearby Seckinger High School had begged Gwinnett County's Department of Transportation to install some kind of barrier at the dead end, where the Carpers would careen into an embankment. "All I know is that people are getting hurt, and there's a very real chance somebody's going to lose their life," Coach Tony Lotti told the I-Team in March. At that time, Carper was still hospitalized. What we know Carper, a retired Clarke County Sheriff's deputy, died in her home May 20, according to her Georgia death certificate. Even before the crash, she suffered from kidney and heart problems, and she had just been discharged from a hospital stay in Braselton when the wreck happened Feb. 4. She suffered broken ribs, bruising and oxygen deprivation in the ordeal. Her daughter, Heidi Rutledge, said that for the next 15 weeks, her mother was in and out of hospital care. She remained in constant pain, had difficulty breathing, suffered an infection from being intubated, and lost the use of her left hand from lying on her arm for so long before her rescue, Heidi said. She had been out of the hospital for 12 days before she died. The cause of death on her death certificate: "acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia (lack of oxygen)." "The wreck caused my mom's death," Heidi told the I-Team. "She was up on her feet when she came out of the hospital the first time, before the wreck," she said. "But after the wreck, she'd been bedbound and couldn't hardly move her body." The backstory The day of the crash, Heidi said her stepfather, Walt Carper, picked her mother up at the hospital. Then after a stop at a grocery store, her mother took the driver's seat of the Dodge Caravan and headed back toward their home in Barrow County. But she took a wrong turn in the dark at a roundabout and wound up on the south end of West Rock Quarry Road, which runs along the back side of Seckinger High School in Gwinnett. The Carpers had no way of knowing it, but for months Coach Lotti had been lobbying county DOT to make safety improvements to the road. Some students had been T-boned turning left out of a school exit, along with multiple other accidents involving drivers running off the dead end. "We'll be sitting on the front porch or doing something out here, and I'll see cars just flying down here," West Rock Quarry Road resident George Grob told the I-Team in March. "And then we'll hear them go off. I bet I've come down here for probably 10 or 15 people. "One night, it was two of them," Grob said. "Like, within an hour of each other." Coach Lotti asked the county for speed breakers, as well as a barricade at the cul-de-sac. With poor lighting, the distant lights of I-85 created an illusion that the roadway kept going, he said. Heidi said that's what misled her mother. "She looked through the trees, and I guess she (saw) that it was ongoing cars, so she thought it was an ongoing road," Heidi said. Driving off the embankment was only the beginning of the Carpers' suffering. The minivan landed on its side, and neither Patricia nor Walt could reach their cell phones. A Gwinnett County Police report estimated the crash time at 7 p.m. Heidi said she tried to call them every few hours. She finally went to her parents' home, found her mother's tablet, and located her mother's phone just north of the interstate. She called police to report them missing just after noon on Feb. 5. Around the same time, some passersby found the Carpers, Gwinnett County 911 records show. It was past 1 p.m. when both Patricia and Walt had been extracted. It was a school day. "When we heard about the couple that was stranded, my heart just sunk," Lotti said. "We had no idea they were there." Walt, 71, suffered a brain injury in the crash. He's still recovering in a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Monroe, his stepdaughter said. Why you should care Late last year, Gwinnett DOT had been working with Lotti to address safety hazards on the road. The county conducted a traffic study, recording speeds as high as 90 and 100 miles per hour, where the speed limit is 25. DOT added two new signs – one saying, "School," another saying, "Dead end 1000 feet." Lotti said he and traffic officials discussed adding speed breakers. But then everything came to a stop. Mulberry, a new city, formed on Jan. 1. "Congratulations! You are now in the new city of Mulberry," a traffic analyst told Lotti in an email obtained by the I-Team. "Unfortunately, we do not have an agreement with the City of Mulberry to install speed humps inside the city limits. We are stopping all progress and closing the request for a Public Hearing for West Rock Quarry Road." The email referred Lotti to the city's website. The trouble there: The city doesn't have a roads department. Its charter, approved by the state Legislature and ratified by voters, says the county must keep up roadwork during a two-year transition period. But Gwinnett and Mulberry have been locked in a heated dispute over the charter, which the county contends shifts too much financial burden to county taxpayers. The county is challenging the charter in court, the case currently with the Georgia Court of Appeals. The county filed another lawsuit last month against the state over Senate Bill 138, aimed specifically at Gwinnett and stripping its sovereign immunity for a year if a judge finds it violated the new law. Sponsored by the area's Republican state senator, Clint Dixon, the bill passed this year and was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp. When the I-Team contacted Gwinnett DOT Director Lewis Cooksey earlier this year, he said the county would need to have an intergovernmental agreement with Mulberry before putting any more work into West Rock Quarry Road. But the second time the I-Team reached out, Cooksey agreed safety is paramount and said the county would make additional safety improvements after all. Within days, a barrier had been erected at the dead end, and a new warning – "Road closed ahead" – was painted in giant letters on the road surface. "We were happy to help," Cooksey told the I-Team in a text. "We will continue to monitor the area and we ask that everyone use the utmost caution when traveling." Cooksey did not respond to messages about this story, and Gwinnett County Transportation had no comment on Patricia Carper's death. What they're saying "I think this is a perfectly good example of why we need to work together," Mulberry Mayor Michael Coker said. Coker said West Rock Quarry Road will be the city's responsibility eventually, but for now, it's the county's job to maintain it. "You guys came out and did that story, you brought attention to this issue," he said of FOX 5's story in March. "And ultimately the county made the changes, they put up those barricades. So I think that tells you everything you need to know, as to whose responsibility was that road." Heidi said her mother would still be alive if the barricade had gone up sooner. Local perspective Patricia Carper served 22 years with Clarke County, retiring in 2010. She worked as a jailer, and a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office said she's remembered as an excellent marksman. She's also remembered for taking over operations of the Athens jail in May 2000, the spokeswoman said. That was so other deputies could attend the funeral of a lieutenant who had died on duty in a car crash. Carper was laid to rest Wednesday at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winder. She's survived by her husband, two children and three grandsons. The Source The FOX 5 I-Team reported in March how Gwinnett County's Transportation Department backed off safety improvements to a treacherous road, just before a Barrow County couple's horrific ordeal running off the roadway in February. For that story, the I-Team reviewed traffic reports, a traffic study, accident reports and photos of past wrecks provided by school personnel and residents. This story was prompted when the daughter of the driver in the February crash informed reporter Johnny Edwards that her mother died.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
High school coach begged Gwinnett County for months to fix a dangerous road. Then a terrifying wreck happened
The Brief A Barrow County couple suffered serious injuries in a car wreck near Seckinger High School on Feb. 4, after the wife took a wrong turn in the dark and drove off an embankment. The FOX 5 I-Team found the wreck might have been prevented. For months, Seckinger Jaguars' head football Coach Toni Lotti had been waging a one-man campaign for safety improvements to West Rock Quarry Road. His efforts stalled, though, after the formation of the new city of Mulberry on Jan. 1. Gwinnett County's Department of Transportation said the roadway became the city's responsibility. After the I-Team started asking questions, Gwinnett DOT made additional safety improvements – including a new barrier where the couple crashed off the road. BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Last month Pat and Walt Carper endured a night of terror on a dead-end road behind Seckinger High School. Driving home after dark in their Dodge Caravan, Pat took a wrong turn at a roundabout near the school, drove down a hill into a darkened cul-de-sac, then careened off an embankment into a ditch. The car landed on its side, and the couple remained trapped for more than 12 hours before police found them the following afternoon, according to a Gwinnett County Police crash report. What they're saying: Pat's daughter, Heidi Rutledge, said she became worried when her parents didn't answer their phones. She finally went to their home, found her mother's tablet and used it to locate her phone. She said the crash apparently sent both of their phones flying, and her mother and stepfather, trapped in their seatbelts, couldn't reach them to call for help. "It could be worse, and l could've never found them," Rutledge said. "And I don't know what could happen after that." Pat, 64, suffered broken ribs and oxygen deprivation, her daughter said, and Walt, 71, suffered a brain injury. Both remain hospitalized. The FOX 5 I-Team found all of this might have been prevented. But a jurisdictional spat between Gwinnett County and the new City of Mulberry got in the way. The backstory The Carpers' crash happened Feb. 4. Since the previous October, Seckinger High School's head football coach, Tony Lotti, had been lobbying the county government to do something about the south end of West Rock Quarry Road. Among the problems: Drivers getting lost at the roundabout. Excessive speeds. A dead end that doesn't look like one in the dark. And students being T-boned pulling out of a school parking lot exit. "There's been two accidents that I personally had to be the first responder to," Lotti told the I-Team. "The last one, in October, was a T-bone accident of one of the players. And so something needs to change." The student in the October crash was transported out by ambulance but made a full recovery. For months, Lotti said, he worked with Gwinnett County's Department of Transportation. The county added two new signs on the road before the end of the year – one saying, "School," another saying, "Dead end 1000 feet." Lotti said he and traffic officials discussed adding speed breakers, too. But after Jan. 1, everything came to a stop. What changed? "Congratulations! You are now in the new city of Mulberry," a traffic analyst told Lotti in an email obtained by the I-Team. "Unfortunately, we do not have an agreement with the City of Mulberry to install speed humps inside the city limits. We are stopping all progress and closing the request for a Public Hearing for West Rock Quarry Road." The message left the coach flummoxed. "I don't understand how you can start a project, then just drop it," Lotti said, "when, in my opinion, there are lives on the line." Big picture view The speed limit on that stretch of West Rock Quarry Road is 25 miles per hour. In a traffic study, Gwinnett County DOT recorded speeds as high as 90 and 100 miles per hour. Lotti and residents who spoke with the I-Team pointed to several factors making the road treacherous. The road slopes downward just before the school entrance, creating a blind spot and causing traffic to pick up speed, Lotti said. Just beyond that is the dead end, so students turning left to exit sometimes mistakenly think oncoming traffic is turning right into the school, he said. "And so people assume that they're going to pull in to the right, and (when) they don't, we have a T-bone," Lotti said. The dead end can also be deceiving, the coach and nearby residents said. It's poorly lit, and at night, the distant lights of Interstate 85 through the trees create an illusion that the road connects to the highway. "If you're not familiar with this road, you're going to think it still keeps going," the coach said. But it doesn't. There's a sudden dead end and a drop-off into a wooded ditch, where the Carpers' Dodge Caravan landed. "We'll be sitting on the front porch or doing something out here, and I'll see cars just flying down here," West Rock Quarry Road resident George Grob said. "And then we'll hear them go off. I bet I've come down here for probably 10 or 15 people. "One night, it was two of them," Grob said. "Like, within an hour of each other." Residents say the traffic volume intensified after the school opened almost three years ago and the roundabout opened at the intersection of Sardis Church Road. "It just scares me that someone is going to be very seriously hurt or killed by the speed and the people running off the road," resident Gayle Hayes said. "If there could be at least a guardrail, or some kind of flashing light, or something that's a physical warning." Dig deeper The email from the county traffic analyst told Coach Lotti to "please reach out to Mulberry from now on." So he did, making a presentation to the Mulberry City Council in January. Trouble is, Mulberry doesn't have a roads department. The city charter, approved by the Georgia Legislature and ratified by voters, put the onus on the county government to maintain roads for a 2-year period. The county is challenging the city's charter in court, the case currently with the Georgia Court of Appeals. The I-Team reached out to Gwinnett County DOT Director Lewis Cooksey, who said the county could continue its work on West Rock Quarry Road if the city and county signed an intergovernmental agreement. Mulberry officials disagree. "It's just incorrect," Mulberry Mayor Pro Tem Michael Rudnick said. "We have a legally-binding document that's our city charter, that was put through legislation last year, voted on by the voters, and is the document that the county and the city should be abiding by." Rudnick and Mayor Michael Coker met with the I-Team near the school entrance earlier this month, both expressing their own safety concerns and frustrations with the county. "The ironic thing is, in the litigation they're arguing that our charter is unconstitutional, and Mulberry doesn't exist," the mayor said. "And then on the other hand, they're standing here and telling us that this is our responsibility." Coach Lotti became so frustrated with the impasse, at one point he spent $350 of his own money buying speed bumps and a warning sign off Amazon. He said a councilman had suggested he install them himself. The mayor, however, advised holding off. "The city council here in Mulberry, we've offered, financially out of our own pockets, to do what we can to try to get signage or whatever we can do to make the area safer," he said. "But unfortunately, at the end of the day, it comes down to jurisdiction. And we just don't have the jurisdiction to take action on a county road." The other side When the FOX 5 I-Team reached out to DOT Director Cooksey a second time, he agreed safety is paramount, and said the county would make additional safety improvements after all. Within days, a barrier had been erected at the dead end, and a new warning – "Road closed ahead" – was painted in giant letters on the road surface. "We were happy to help," Cooksey said in a text. "We will continue to monitor the area and we ask that everyone use the utmost caution when traveling." Cooksey said an engineering study is needed to determine what else, if anything, is needed. Speed bumps, he cautioned, can lead to more wrecks if not placed correctly. Lotti said he's happy with the barrier but still believes the road needs speed breakers before the school entrance. He said drivers continue to speed, so he's still worried about students exiting the school. He even recorded a public service announcement about the dangerous road, shown to students in the school cafeteria. "West Rock Quarry Road isn't just another stretch of pavement," the coach says on the video. "It's actually a danger zone if you're not paying attention." SEE ALSO: Apalachee vs Winder-Barrow Watch: Windy conditions fuel New Year's fire in Hall County Apalachee head coach returns to sidelines months after surgery to remove brain tumors Apalachee Wildcats welcomes Coach Tony Lotti The Source The FOX 5 I-Team visited West Rock Quarry Road several times for this story, speaking to Coach Tony Lotti and residents concerned about safety. The I-Team obtained the past year's accident reports (though Gwinnett County withheld records of accidents involving students) and received photos of past wrecks from school personnel and residents. The team also reviewed records from Gwinnett DOT's traffic study, as well as litigation between the county and the city of Mulberry. Among those speaking out for this story: Mulberry's mayor and mayor pro tem.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of buying students luxury gifts, trying to enroll in school now facing charges
An 18-year-old South Korean native in metro Atlanta on a tourist visa is facing charges days after being banned from school campuses in Gwinnett and Hall counties. Dongha Lee was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at a home in Flowery Branch. He's currently being held in the Hall County Jail on an immigration hold and a hold for Gwinnett County. It's unclear what Gwinnett County plans to charge Lee with. Lee sparked controversy on Monday when Seckinger High School officials sent parents an urgent letter warning about an individual contacting students through social media and inviting them to meet in person. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] By Tuesday, both Gwinnett County School Police and Hall County Sheriff's deputies had issued criminal trespass warnings against him after he attempted to enroll at West Hall High School. Hall County School officials say he didn't have the proper paperwork and he was not the appropriate age. Lee spoke with Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson on Wednesday, claiming his presence at Seckinger High School last week was legitimate, stating unidentified parents let him in and staff provided him with a visitor's badge. As for why he came to Georgia, he says it was to reconnect with people he had met previously. He denied he ever introducing himself as a student at the school. 'I arrived in here, like five days ago, and I didn't do anything illegal,' he insisted. TRENDING STORIES: CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Man committed murder, carjacking, assaults and more – all in 20 minutes Boy abducted in Atlanta 7 years ago found safe in Colorado 'They're throwing guns out!' 5 car break-in suspects lead APD on I-20 chase He was accused of buying luxury gifts for students, as well. While admitting to purchasing gifts for teens he met, he downplayed their significance and said he did it to make friends. 'I bought gifts, but it was like 43 U.S. dollars included tax. Also, it is not luxury gift,' he said. 'I'm using my parents' money.' When directly confronted whether he is a danger to others, he stated firmly: 'No I'm not a pedophilia so I'm not.' Homeland Security investigated and confirmed Tuesday that Lee possesses a valid 90-day tourist visa. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of buying students luxury gifts, trying to enroll in school now facing charges
An 18-year-old South Korean native in metro Atlanta on a tourist visa is facing charges days after being banned from school campuses in Gwinnett and Hall counties. Dongha Lee was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at a home in Flowery Branch. He's currently being held in the Hall County Jail on an immigration hold and a hold for Gwinnett County. It's unclear what Gwinnett County plans to charge Lee with. Lee sparked controversy on Monday when Seckinger High School officials sent parents an urgent letter warning about an individual contacting students through social media and inviting them to meet in person. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] By Tuesday, both Gwinnett County School Police and Hall County Sheriff's deputies had issued criminal trespass warnings against him after he attempted to enroll at West Hall High School. Hall County School officials say he didn't have the proper paperwork and he was not the appropriate age. Lee spoke with Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson on Wednesday, claiming his presence at Seckinger High School last week was legitimate, stating unidentified parents let him in and staff provided him with a visitor's badge. As for why he came to Georgia, he says it was to reconnect with people he had met previously. He denied he ever introducing himself as a student at the school. 'I arrived in here, like five days ago, and I didn't do anything illegal,' he insisted. TRENDING STORIES: CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Man committed murder, carjacking, assaults and more – all in 20 minutes Boy abducted in Atlanta 7 years ago found safe in Colorado 'They're throwing guns out!' 5 car break-in suspects lead APD on I-20 chase He was accused of buying luxury gifts for students, as well. While admitting to purchasing gifts for teens he met, he downplayed their significance and said he did it to make friends. 'I bought gifts, but it was like 43 U.S. dollars included tax. Also, it is not luxury gift,' he said. 'I'm using my parents' money.' When directly confronted whether he is a danger to others, he stated firmly: 'No I'm not a pedophilia so I'm not.' Homeland Security investigated and confirmed Tuesday that Lee possesses a valid 90-day tourist visa. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
'I didn't do anything illegal:' Man banned from Gwinnett, Hall schools denies accusations
An 18-year-old South Korean visitor finds himself at the center of growing controversy as parents across two metro Atlanta counties raise alarms about his interactions with local students. Speaking with Channel 2 Action News, the young man, who requested anonymity due to death threats, offered his side of a story that has sparked widespread concern among school officials and parents. He has not been arrested, and no police department has announced any criminal charges. 'I arrived in here, like five days ago, and I didn't do anything illegal,' he insisted, defending himself against allegations that have led to bans at all school campuses in both Gwinnett and Hall counties. The controversy erupted Monday when Seckinger High School officials sent parents an urgent letter warning about an individual contacting students through social media and inviting them to meet in person. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] By Tuesday, both Gwinnett County School Police and Hall County Sheriff's deputies had issued criminal trespass warnings against him after he attempted to enroll at West Hall High School. Hall County School officials say he didn't have the proper paperwork and he was not the appropriate age. The man claims his presence at Seckinger High School last week was legitimate, stating unidentified parents let him in and staff provided him with a visitor's badge. As for why he came to Georgia, he says it was to reconnect with people he had met previously. He denied he ever introducing himself as a student at the school. 'I met some friends who go to Seckinger High School,' he explained, adding that his social media connections were not initiated by him. 'They found my Instagram account from another, like mutual friends…They sent me a message first.' While admitting to purchasing gifts for teens he met, he downplayed their significance and said he did it to make friends. TRENDING STORIES: Man meeting Gwinnett County teens with luxury gifts banned from schools Storms bring down trees, knock power out for thousands Toddler killed when 2 adults riding dirt bike with no headlight hits SUV in DeKalb Co. 'I bought gifts, but it was like 43 U.S. dollars included tax. Also, it is not luxury gift,' he said. 'I'm using my parents' money.' When directly confronted whether he is a danger to others, he stated firmly: 'No I'm not a pedophilia so I'm not.' Homeland Security investigated and confirmed Tuesday that the man possesses a valid 90-day tourist visa, and no police department has announced criminal charges against him to date. As the controversy continues, the visitor says may cut his Georgia stay short 'I will not stay in here anymore. When I finish everything in here, then I will go to New York City or like Vancouver,' he said. School officials continue urging parents to discuss online safety with their children as the investigation continues. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
