Police are investigating the first electric scooter death in East Point and the fourth scooter-related death in metro Atlanta within the past four months.
About 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Quineterry McGriff was riding an e-scooter south on Semmes Street when he allegedly ran the red light at Norman Berry Drive, police told Channel 2 Action News. A truck then hit him.
IN-DEPTH: Fourth e-scooter death in metro Atlanta comes to East Point
“(The truck driver) was unable to stop in time,” East Point police Capt. Allyn Glover told Channel 2. “Swerved and the scooter hit the passenger side of his vehicle.”
McGriff, who police said is a 46-year-old homeless man, was killed in the wreck. The driver will not be charged, the news station reported.
It's the latest in a string of wrecks and fatalities in metro Atlanta involving e-scooters, prompting protests and new legislation to be introduced.
On Monday, hours before a 15-year-old on an e-scooter was hit by a car in Buckhead, the Atlanta City Council introduced legislation that affirmed a prohibition on additional permits to the companies deploying the devices. The proposal appears to be a stop-gap measure and is unlikely to have any immediate effect on the number of scooters on city streets.
MORE: Atlanta City Council weighs prohibiting new scooters after third death
Within a three-month span, there were three e-scooter fatalities in Atlanta.
The first occurred in May when a 20-year-old man was struck by a Cadillac SUV as he left a MARTA station. The driver of the vehicle, 36-year-old Narcory Wright, was later arrested on misdemeanor charges of second-degree homicide by vehicle and speeding in connection with the deadly wreck.
RELATED: Family of man killed in Atlanta's first e-scooter wreck wants them off roads
The second e-scooter fatality occurred July 17 when a 37-year-old Atlanta man fell while riding next to a CobbLinc bus and got run over, police said. No charges were filed against the bus driver.
MORE: 'Do something!': Passenger recalls moment CobbLinc bus hit e-scooter rider in Midtown
Most recently, an Alabama mother of two was taken off life support Friday, days after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding an e-scooter in Midtown. An arrest has not been made in that case.
RELATED: Couple's romantic trip turns tragic as woman on e-scooter hit, killed
E-scooters arrived in Atlanta in May 2018 and were largely unregulated until the City Council approved legislation in January requiring companies to obtain permits and submit monthly data to the city about their use.
After a 10-month grace period, city officials recently announced that police would begin cracking down on people caught riding on sidewalks instead of in the street. Fines for those caught riding on sidewalks could range as high as $1,000.
MORE: After period of leniency, Atlanta police now enforcing scooter law
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