An Amazon truck driver is facing vehicular homicide and drug charges after authorities say narcotics were found in his vehicle after he struck a pedestrian during a hit-and-run crash Tuesday evening in Cherokee County.
The driver allegedly hit 79-year-old Sandra Fitts around 6:30 p.m. along Cumming Highway near the intersection of Jordan Lane, according to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office. The area is located a short distance from Canton, where Fitts lived, deputies said.
Fitts was struck as she crossed the road to pick up some trash near a graveyard in the area, sheriff’s office spokesperson Capt. Jay Baker said.
While responding to the scene, a deputy spotted the Amazon truck turning onto Bishop Drive, a side street off Cumming Highway that is located a stone’s throw from the crash. After the deputy requested help, a Canton police officer found the truck on Bishop Drive with “damage consistent with the evidence located at the accident scene,” deputies said.
“The investigation revealed that the Amazon truck in question was the vehicle that struck the pedestrian,” the sheriff’s office said.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
London Best, 24, was arrested and originally charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and hit-and-run resulting in death. But investigators later searched his vehicle and said they found narcotics inside, leading to new charges that include possession of marijuana less than 1 ounce, possession of a schedule 1 narcotic (THC wax) and possession of drug-related objects.
Baker said the Alpharetta man had been delivering packages and continued to do so after the crash. Best is now ineligible to deliver on the company’s behalf, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to Amazon spokesperson Austin Stowe.
“We’re deeply saddened by this incident, and our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. We’ll support local police as they investigate,” Stowe added.
Best remains in the county jail without bond.
