A Gwinnett County man was released from jail late Thursday night, hours after he allegedly ran a red light and caused a wreck that killed an elderly Lawrenceville couple, police said.
Ryan Edward Morton, 34, was driving a white Chevrolet Astro van southbound on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road when he ran the red light at Riverside Parkway near Lawrenceville and hit two vehicles, according to Cpl. Jake Smith with Gwinnett County police.
Morton struck a Dodge Ram, but no one was injured, Smith said. Morton then allegedly struck the driver's side of a Mercury Marquis turning left from Riverside Parkway onto Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, police said. The driver of the Mercury, Ronald Osier, 78, died at the scene.
Osier's wife, 76-year-old June Osier, was transported to the hospital, where she later died, police said. The Osiers were about two miles from home when their vehicle was struck, address records show.
Morton was arrested at the scene and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and failing to obey a traffic control device, according to police. He was booked into the Gwinnett County jail shortly before 3 p.m. following his arrest, according to booking records.
Morton was released at 11:09 p.m. after posting $12,700 bond, jail records show. Investigators do not believe speed, alcohol nor drugs were a factor in the wreck.
The intersection was temporarily closed during the wreck investigation.
About the Author
