According to the Georgia State Patrol Public Information Director, The following are preliminary details as the crash is still under investigation. On Sunday, July 9, 2023, at 12:38 pm, Troopers from Post 5 Dalton responded to a crash on GA 286 in Whitfield County. A U-Haul truck was traveling south on GA 286, when the driver struck a pedestrian who was walking on the shoulder of the roadway. After impact, the U-Haul left the scene. The pedestrian, Mr. Eric Coffey, 35, of Dalton, was transported to Hamilton Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. The Georgia State Patrol Troop A Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is investigating this crash. Georgia State Patrol Public Information Director said that on Monday troopers from Post 5 Dalton received a tip that Kojack Andrew Conner, 22, of 111 Richardson Drive in Dalton, was a possible suspect. Troopers then located the U-Haul at 1206 Dawnville Road at a U-Haul rental location. Troopers were able to verify the U-Haul was the suspect’s vehicle with physical evidence. Conner was present at the rental location. Troopers interviewed Conner and developed probable cause for his arrest. Conner was booked into the Whitfield County Jail and charged by the Georgia State Patrol with felony homicide by vehicle (leaving the scene), hit-and-run with death, and failure to report an accident resulting in death. Conner is being held without a bond at the jail.
Dalton man arrested in connection with fatal pedestrian hit-and-run crash in Whitfield County
