Gwinnett County police have charged a driver accused of killing a man riding a lawn mower through a Snellville-area neighborhood and then fleeing the scene.
The fatal crash happened about 8:30 p.m. Thursday along Lee Road, according to a Gwinnett police report. Authorities said 59-year-old Jeffrey Hibbler was traveling against traffic on a riding mower when he was struck by a BMW headed in the opposite direction.
The impact of the collision knocked Hibbler off the road and caused the mower to flip, according to police. The Snellville man died of his injuries. It was dark at the time, and investigators have not said why Hibbler was driving his lawn mower in the road.
The driver of the BMW, later identified as 22-year-old Lamon Gravesande, reportedly left the scene, leaving behind debris from his front bumper and a trail of fluid from the car. The sedan was abandoned on Meadow Point Drive, not far from Hibbler’s home, authorities said.
When the car was discovered, officers noticed it had damage that was consistent with the earlier crash. Gravesande, who has a Lithonia address listed in jail records, was later arrested at his home. According to the incident report, the 22-year-old admitted he had been driving the car.
He was charged with homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run and failing to report the crash, online records show. Gravesande remained at the Gwinnett County Jail on Friday without bond.
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