ATLANTA – A Polk County grand jury has indicted state Rep. Trey Kelley for reckless conduct for his alleged involvement in the aftermath of a fatal hit-and-run traffic accident last year, Polk Today reported Thursday.
The driver of the vehicle, Ryan Dover, was charged with felony hit and run and reckless conduct in the September 2019 crash in Cedartown that killed Eric Keais.
Keais was riding a bicycle along North Main Street in Cedartown when he was stuck by Dover’s vehicle, according to Polk District Attorney Jack Browning.
Dover did not immediately stop and contact law enforcement and emergency medical services, as required by law, but instead contacted Kelley, R-Cedartown, who then sought help from Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome.
As Keais lay in a ditch on the side of the road in need of emergency medical attention, law enforcement and emergency medical services were not contacted until about 45 minutes after the incident, according to the district attorney. Keais later died of his injuries.
The case was brought before the grand jury because the Georgia State Patrol, which investigated the crash, did not make any arrests, Browning said.
“Over the course of two days, the grand jurors heard a substantial amount of testimonial and video evidence from law enforcement officers and the GBI medical examiner, as well as several witness interview recordings from those involved in, and with direct knowledge of, the incident,” Browning said.
Lester Tate, Kelley’s lawyer, said he plans to present facts that will show his client’s innocence.
“I have not yet had an opportunity to review the actual charges, but I am well aware of facts surrounding the case,” Tate said. “I believe strongly once those facts come to light that they will show that Mr. Kelley did nothing wrong in the situation.”
Kelley was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012 and serves as majority whip. He was re-elected to the post last month, winning 78.1% of the vote.