A man critically injured in a crash has died, and the driver suspected of causing the wreck faces homicide and other charges, Marietta police said Thursday.
Ricky Bradford, 64, died Sunday, nearly two weeks after a vehicle hit him July 31 on the Canton Road Connector’s entrance ramp to I-75 South, according to department spokesman Officer Jared Rakestraw.
Police said a Ford F-150 was stopped in the gore area between the connector’s entrance ramp and the interstate due to a mechanical issue. Bradford and his brother were trying to load the truck onto a trailer when a 2016 Hyundai Sonata, driven by 29-year-old William B. Headen, improperly passed slower moving traffic, police said.
“Headen unlawfully entered the gore area preparing to merge onto I-75 South,” Rakestraw said. “After entering the gore, Headen’s vehicle collided with the rear bumper area of the F-150.”
Credit: Marietta Police Department
Credit: Marietta Police Department
Bradford, who was partially in the truck, was thrown from it. His brother, identified as 60-year-old Larry Bradford, was in front of the F-150 at the time of the crash and hit by the truck. Both men were taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police. The brother’s current status is not known.
Headen was taken to the same hospital with minor injuries.
In addition to first-degree vehicular homicide and serious injury by vehicle, both felonies, Headen faces multiple misdemeanor charges, including improper lane change, driving through a gore, improper passing, following too closely and reckless driving.
Police ask anyone with additional information about the crash to call 770-794-5352.
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