During the span of about an hour, a 20-year-old man was involved in three hit-and-runs last week, two of which injured people walking their dogs through Gwinnett County, police said.
Landon Jerome Alex of Lawrenceville was arrested and charged with two counts of hit-and-run with serious injury, one count of hit-and-run, five counts of aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated battery. He was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail a few hours after the string of incidents Nov. 8.
The spree began around 7:40 p.m. when Gwinnett police were called to the 400 block of Buttercup Trail regarding a hit-and-run. A 69-year-old woman was walking her dog when a car hit her in her driveway, police spokeswoman Hideshi Valle said Friday. The driver fled the scene after striking the woman, Valle said. The woman suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured femur.
About 10 minutes later and a couple of miles away, police arrived in the 1800 block of Oakland Pointe, where a 42-year-old man was hit by a car while walking his dog in his driveway, Valle said. The driver fled the scene again and the victim suffered multiple injuries, including broken bones in his leg, she added.
More than a half-hour later, a 49-year-old man’s vehicle was “sideswiped” by another car while the victim was trying to reverse in his driveway, Valle said. Once again, the driver fled from the incident in the 1700 block of North Oak Drive, she added.
About 10 minutes later, a 34-year-old man told Gwinnett police that while he was walking his dog in the 1500 block of Club Lakes Parkway, a man got out of a car and “charged at him.”
The string of crimes came to end when police were called to a single-vehicle crash along Club Drive and Old Shackelford Road involving a silver Toyota Yaris. After the wreck, Alex removed his pants and fled, Valle said. He was eventually located and identified as the driver responsible in the previous incidents, she said.
Investigators are exploring all motives and are asking anyone with information to call Gwinnett police at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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