COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County man says he watched in horror as a driver slammed into two teenagers. The crash in front of Wheeler High School left one of the boys with life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses described a horrific scene. One man told Channel 2's Michael Seiden he saw the two boys in a crosswalk, carrying a heavy weight rack, when all of the sudden, a driver in the other lane slammed into them.
The impact was so violent, both boys went flying.
"It was a terrifying moment. I thought I was going to see this young man die right before my very eyes," Marty Herrin said. “Both of them were literally knocked out of their shoes," Herrin said.
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Herrin said he and his wife were driving to dinner when it happened.
“I saw them plain as day, so we stopped and sat there while they went in front of us," he said.
Herrin said the driver of a black Mercedes sped toward the crossing.
“It was obvious that they were not stopping, and I told my wife, ‘They’re not stopping!’ And then boom! She hit them, and they went flying. It was awful!”
Thinking about his own children, his fatherly instinct kicked in.
“I jumped out and said to my wife, ‘Call 911!’ One guy was knocked to the side of the road into the sidewalk area. The other one bounced off the windshield and then landed in the middle of (the) lane. I stood there talking to him, trying to tell him, ‘Breathe! Stay with us!' It was so surreal," Herrin said.
Police identified the driver as Nancy Valentine, 73, of Marietta.
It's unclear if she will face charges for the crash.
Neighbors are raising concerns about the crosswalk. Many told Seiden that there's not enough signage, and they're now calling for new measures, such as blinking lights.