About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 2020)
8A Midweek Edition-October 28-29, 2020 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com LOCAL 3 pedestrians struck, killed by vehicles in 2 days BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Three people were killed after being struck by vehicles in Gaines ville in a period of about 36 hours between Friday afternoon and late Saturday. A 25-year-old Oakwood man died Friday after stepping into the path of a commercial vehicle. A Talmo man was killed just prior to midnight on Athens Highway when he was hit by a van. And a Toccoa woman died Saturday night on Athens Street. Two vehicles were involved in that accident, one of which fled the scene. Thompson Bridge Gainesville police have iden tified the 25-year-old Oakwood resident they say died when he stepped into the path of a vehicle on Thompson Bridge Road on Fri day, Oct. 23. According to police, David Tis- dell walked in front of an oncom ing commercial vehicle for “unknown reasons.” Charges are not being filed against the driver, said Sgt. Kevin Holbrook, a spokes person for the Gainesville Police Department. “By all accounts, it appears the pedestrian stepped in the travel lane, thus causing the truck no other option but to hit him,” Hol brook wrote via text. Athens Highway A Talmo man was struck by a van and killed near midnight Friday, Oct. 23, on Athens High way in Gainesville, according to authorities. Jonathan Calvin Cross, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash around 11:50 p.m. Friday on Athens Highway/US 129 just north of Smallwood Road, accord ing to Georgia State Patrol. State patrol said Cross was walk ing southbound in the northbound lane of Athens Highway. Mohammad Bedarul Hussain, 56, of Cumming, was driving a Chevrolet Express van and alleg edly struck Cross, according to state patrol. No charges will be filed in the case, according to state patrol. Friend Kelley Canady said Cross loved the outdoors and tended to walk everywhere. The two had talked just a few days before the incident about going fishing. “He was a good man. He really was,” Canady said. “He was all about his family. He would do any thing for his daughter, and they were very, very close.” Athens Street Police have identified the Toc coa woman killed by a car Satur day night on Athens Street near Athens Highway in Gainesville. Christy Ramsey, 39, was killed after being struck by two vehi cles, one of which fled the scene, according to Gainesville Police Sgt. Kevin Holbrook. Holbrook said the vehicle should have noticeable damage to its front bumper. He also said the police depart ment is asking the public to call 911 with any information they have that may assist authorities in the investigation. Police did not have a further description of the vehicle. Tammy Stanfield, Ramsey’s sister, said Ramsey had visited a friend’s house for a social gathering. Because there was limited park ing at the home, Stanfield said her sister had parked in a lot close to the home. Having lived most of her life in Gainesville, Ramsey was about to start a new job in the area. She had moved to Toccoa to be closer with family, Stanfield said. “She always tried to take care of everybody,” Stanfield said, as her sister befriended those in need and the elderly who longed for company. Stanfield said she has reached out to people in the area who knew Ramsey to post on social media as a way to keep awareness up on the case. “That person is on our roads, and if they don’t have remorse when they run someone over, then what’s next?” Stanfield asked. Reporter Nathan Berg contributed to this report. $2K raised in Gofundme for 11-year-old hit by truck BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Nearly $2,000 has been raised in an online fund raiser for the 11-year-old Gainesville boy who was hit by a truck Monday, Oct. 19, while riding his bicycle. Santiago Ramirez has been undergoing treatment at Chil dren’s Healthcare of Atlanta since he was hit outside of his Buena Vista Circle home. A Gofundme account for the boy had raised $1,990, nearly $500 more than its initial goal, as of 2 p.m. Mon day, Oct. 26. The creator of the fund raiser, Jerry Channell, said Santiago’s parents have been “by his side the whole time.” “We know that this trau matic situation is going to cause a lot of financial stress and that’s why we need your help!” Channell’s Gofundme says. “The Ramirez family would appreciate any love and support that you can give.” Authorities said a Ford F-150 was driving on Buena Vista Circle around 6:30 p.m. Monday near Cata lina Drive. Santiago left his driveway on a bicycle and was struck, police said. Javier Ramirez, the boy’s father, said his son has developed pneumonia, and the family does not have an estimate of when he will be released from the hospital. Ramirez previously told The Times the boy suffered two cracks in his skull. Doc tors attached sensors to his head to monitor swelling, Ramirez said. Gainesville Police have not provided any updates on the case or any information on whether charges will be assessed. A photo of Santiago Ramirez, 11, sits on the family’s living room table surrounded by candles. NICK WATSON The Times Gateway discusses pandemic’s effect on domestic violence BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Domestic violence survivors said the COVID- 19 outbreak made it “harder to tolerate the abuse after the pandemic started,” said mental health clinician Anjana Freeman. Freeman was recently hired to be the clini cian for Gainesville Police, helping officers with any mental health crises they might encounter on cases in the field. “That has expanded a little bit to become resourcing the community, maybe after an event has occurred, and it can be an event related to domestic violence or loss of a family member,” Freeman said. Freeman and others spoke at a domestic violence briefing Tuesday, Oct. 27, hosted by the Gateway Domestic Violence Center in Gainesville. A brief survey was disseminated by Gate way’s advocates to the people they serve to learn about recent factors on domestic vio lence cases. They received eight surveys back, and five of them were for cases that started after March. Gateway’s statistics on services rendered have skyrocketed compared to the same time last year. Between April and July 2019, the center paid for 26 hotel nights due to lack of space in its shelter. During the same time this year, the center paid for 167 hotel nights. Outside of increased demand, Gateway’s executive director Jessica Butler said they also used the hotel rooms for social distancing purposes. The number of women served by the center SINCE 1917 perfectly TENDER & guaranteed delicious THE BEST STEAKS OF YOUR LIFE OR YOUR MONEY BACK GET THE OMAHA STEAKS CLASSIC tlOOQQ INTRODUCTORY PRICE: 4 (5 oz.) Butcher’s Cut Filet Mignons 8 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (1 lb. pkg.) 4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 8 (3 oz.) 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Freeman said the isolation and ways the abusive partner could control the other person increased, though anecdotally police agencies have had a decrease in reports. “My theory is that there perhaps was not a change in the number of people who actu ally asked for police intervention in their own cases, in their own abuse, but the change comes through the isolation,” Freeman said. “There’s less reporting by the public and by mandated reporters.” Susanne Croft, a counselor at White Sul phur Elementary, said the school system often serves as a safe space for children to tell what is going on in the household. She said children will often disclose any marital problems in the home or separation, which has been also been affected by the COVID-19 isolation. “There was a lot of children just stuck in those situations, and they just come in and just share everything that’s going on which led to a double already in the number of (Division of Family and Children Services) referrals and domestic violence referrals I’ve done by this time during the year,” Croft said. Freeman said the circumstances under which children and victims are experienc ing domestic violence during the pandemic “increases the risk of long-term and severe (post-traumatic stress disorder) and trauma symptoms.” “If they feel like they can’t talk to somebody, if they don’t have contact with safe individuals and safe places to talk about what’s going on, then they have higher symptoms in the long run,” Freeman said. mALKS NOV. 10 AT 5:30 P.M. JOIN OUR JOURNALISTS, SHANNON CASAS AND ALEX POPP, FOR A LIVE CONVERSATION Local health leaders, Dr. John Delzell of Northeast Georgia Health System and Dr. Zachary Taylor of the Department of Public Health District 2, about the best ways to celebrate the holidays amid the coronavirus pandemic. We’ll discuss recommendations about gathering with family, traveling out of state and what precautions can be taken while still enjoying this season. gainesvilletimes.com/virtualevents (The (TintCS DawvsffliCountyNews FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS SOUTH FORSYTH NEWS Sponsored By
