By Joe Johnson
Athens-Clarke County this week recorded two traffic fatalities from vehicle collisions that occurred two weeks apart in June.
According to police, the first incident happened on June 2 when a moped driven by 35-year-old Grant Small of Athens was struck from behind by a Kia Rio on the Athens Perimeter east of the Highway 441 entrance ramp.
The impact caused Small to strike the KIA’s windshield and land in the roadway, and police said he was transported to the he died on Saturday.
According to police, the Kia’s driver had remained at the scene of the incident to be interviewed by officers and was released without being charged.
“The crash is not prosecutable,” ACCPD spokesman Geof Gilland said. “The moped was on a limited access highway and could not maintain the minimum speed limit, 40 mph.”
Also on Saturday, police said they responded shortly before 7 a.m. to a two-vehicle crash in the 1700 block of Cherokee Road.
The initial investigation determined that a 2006 Honda Accord driven by 38-year-old Hull resident Keosha Martin was traveling northbound when it crossed into the opposite lane and collided with a southbound 1999 Toyota Corolla being driven by 70-year-old Linda Motichek of Winterville in Oglethorpe County, police said.
Motichek died at the scene, according to police, and Martin was transported to the hospital with multiple injuries that did not appear life-threatening. A juvenile in the Accord was also transported for evaluation.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing but charges are likely,”Gilland said. “We ask anyone with information about the crash to contact Master Police Officer Shawn Denmark at 762-400-7364 or shawn.denmark@accgo.com. “
The deaths of Small and Motichek were the eighth and ninth traffic fatalities in Athens-Clarke County in 2023.
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