Clayton County holding candlelight vigil in traffic fatality response

Clayton County Commissioner Felicia Franklin is planning a candlelight vigil in response to recent fatalities in the south metro community, especially along Tara Boulevard.

The event, set for noon July 21 in front of the Clayton County Justice Center at 9151 Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro, will focus on securing federal and state funding for lighting, cameras, crosswalks and sidewalks for the community, Franklin said.

The move comes after three people were killed Sunday in motor-vehicle accidents in Clayton County within a matter of hours. The fatalities brought the number of car accident deaths to 18 so far this year, outpacing the 14 people killed in the category in 2020 and the 13 in 2019.

“We have to have safe overhead crosswalks, sidewalks, proper lighting and cameras to catch reckless drivers while monitoring our traffic to keep people safe in our community,” Franklin said in a release.

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