Suwanee Police Plan Checkpoint at McGinnis Ferry-Scales Road Intersection

Suwanee Police plan to hold a traffic-safety checkpoint in December at an intersection where there has been a recent increase in accidents, including two fatalities.

Chief Mike Jones said that officers will hold the checkpoint at McGinnis Ferry Road and Scales Road, where two accidents occurred in November 2012. One collision, on November 28, killed two people and seriously injured another.

Jones said Thursday at a City Council workshop that the November accidents were the only two at that intersection since January 2011. Still, he is aware of traffic trends and citizen unrest about safety at that intersection.

-- What other safety measures should be undertaken at this intersection? What should drivers do? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The exact date of the checkpoint is not yet set. It probably would last about two hours and could involve other police agencies, such as the Gwinnett Sheriff's Office and the Georgia State Patrol.

The checkpoint's purpose would be to get motorists "to abide by the law," Jones said. "We've got to have their help."

I a car driven by David Dowdy of Bogart apparently crossed the center line at a median break and went into oncoming traffic. Dowdy's vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by Mike Strickland, who is in serious condition at Gwinnett Medical. Strickland's mother, Jean Strickland, was killed.

The formal investigation of the accident is not complete. Lawrenceville Police are assisting Suwanee Police with the report.

Jones noted that police patrol of McGinnis Ferry Road is not solely his agency's responsibility. Part of the thoroughfare, including the intersection with Satellite Boulevard, is in unincorporated territory, and so falls in the jurisdiction of the Gwinnett Police Department.

See also:

• Suwanee Traffic Safety: What Needs To Be Done?

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