Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, May 14 - 20, 2015
LOCAL
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Crash
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the PA-32 plane that crashed into the median near Peachtree
Industrial Boulevard.
“We did respond with several units from several cities. At
this time we are working together to investigate the scene,”
Fullum said. “We have the NTSB on the scene with us, who
are doing the investigation.”
All eastbound and westbound lanes on 1-285 were closed
while the crash was investigated. Westbound lanes opened
three hours later, and eastbound lanes opened an hour later.
Cedric Alexander, deputy chief operating officer for
public safety, said several agencies responded to the crash,
including Doraville, DeKalb County and Dunwoody police
departments, as well as Georgia State Patrol.
“It is an ongoing investigation at this point,” Alexander
said. “We don’t know any real specifics as to what occurred,
how it occurred.”
Truck driver Gerald Smith saw the plane coming down.
“I just [saw] the plane coming from my right and I did all
I could to avoid running head-on into it because it was flying
so low to the ground,” Smith said. “I slammed on brakes, and
by the time I hit brakes I saw part of the plane come across
the hood of my truck, which it left some white paint on the
front of my truck and it laid the mirror down on my left side.
I looked over in my mirror and saw the plane against the
wall. I got [out] and went and tried to help but it was blazed
up so bad.”
Doraville Police Chief John King said officers tried to
render aid to the victims.
“But the flames were too high and too hot,” King said.
“It was a very sad scene,” Alexander said. “No one was
hurt on the ground. The truck, we understand may have got
ten clipped when it was coming through at the same time the
aircraft was descending before it crashed into the wall. How
ever, there were no injuries on the ground reported, other
than deaths.
“It is quite remarkable considering the fact 285, around
that time in the morning, that it wasn’t any more tragic than
what it already is,” Alexander added.
“It was just God; it was the will of God,” Smith said about
no one else getting hurt. “If I wouldn’t have been paying at
tention to the highway, the traffic and my surroundings, I
would’ve kept my foot on the gas instead of mashing the
brakes. If I would’ve kept my foot on the gas, it probably
would’ve cut the top off of this truck.”
The airplane burst into flames after crashing on 1-285. Photo by DeKalb Fire Department
The plane clipped a truck before crashing. Photo by Carla Parker
Lee May
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to appoint well-qualified individuals
to the District 5 seat and have sabo
taged other efforts to reach a con
sensus. They have chosen to avert
the will of the people,” May said.
“This type of conduct is a clear
example of why people are so cynical
about their government,” May said.
“But I am determined to do every
thing in my power to restore trust
and integrity in DeKalb. This senti
ment has been and will remain my
number one objective.
“I want to apologize to the citi
zens of District 5 for the actions of
those who don’t live there or even
represent you,” May said. “The be
havior they have displayed has divid
ed this county and is contrary to the
constitutional principles our country
was founded upon.”
May said the county’s commis
sioners need to “put aside political
games and personal differences and
start representing the people.”
May’s resignation allows for a
special election to be held on June 16
and a new representative to fill the
remainder of the term, he said.
“This is a risk for me,” May said.
“If CEO Burrell Ellis comes back to
office—he is innocent until proven
guilty, his trial will be next month—
if he comes back to office, I won’t
have a commission seat to go back
to.
“Yes, that’s a political risk but for
me the interests of District 5 and,
frankly, for the remainder of the
county, is a greater priority to me,”
May said.
May’s decision is a turnaround
from his stance earlier in the year.
In a March 12 statement to The
Champion, May said Commissioners
Nancy Jester, Jeff Rader and Kathie
Gannon are doing everything they
can to hold onto power while they
can, disenfranchising 140,000 resi
dents in Southeast DeKalb, without
regard to the damage that it does to
the rest of the county.
“I have no plans to resign due
to the BOC’s collective inability to
make a decision,” May stated. “If
they can’t do their jobs, they should
be the ones resigning.”
Jason Lary, a District 5 resident
and proponent of the proposed city
of Stonecrest, said, “I think it was a
courageous move on [May’s] part
and I’m glad to see it happen. He
showed that he was above personal
sacrifice over public sacrifice. It
clears the way for people in our area
to have [an] election and get some
representation.
“Finally, we get a seat at the table
that we’ve been missing for two
years,” Lary said.
May’s action “will show folks
outside of the county that we’re be
ginning to put our act together again
and that we can govern,” Lary said.
Paul Redd, also a resident of
District 5, said, “I wanted my voice
heard just like everybody else would.
It’s been too long that this seat has
been vacated and I’m really proud
of Mr. May today. We needed the
change. Too long we have been
[without] a vote.”
Commissioners have had many
tied votes, Redd said. “If we had a
representative, we would have been
that deciding vote.”
Commissioner Stan Watson said
May’s decision helps commissioners
and the county.
“It gives us an opportunity to
again bring stability back to the
board,” Watson said. “For two years
we have had uncertainty about cer
tain votes and the direction of the
county. Now the people will speak
and have a district commissioner.”
In a statement, Commissioner
Nancy Jester said, “From the start, I
have led the call for Lee May to re
sign his District 5 seat and allow for
a free and fair election for the citi
zens of DeKalb County. I am pleased
to see Lee May has agreed and made
the decision to resign.
“No one person holds the moral
authority to occupy two elected
positions simultaneously,” Jester
stated. “Elected positions belong to
no one person, rather, they belong
to the people. The people of DeKalb
County, District 5, have been denied
a commissioner for too long. I am
proud to have championed their
right to a free and fair election and
representation.”