DeFarra Gaymon C.E.O. of Credit Union of Atlanta, married, father of four was shot and killed Friday July 16, 2010. According to a New York Times Story

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On Tuesday, the acting Essex County prosecutor gave the first detailed, public description of what happened in the wooded park that night, saying that the officer, who had tried to arrest Mr. Gaymon, 48, over lewd behavior, fired in self-defense. The prosecutor, Robert D. Laurino, said that Mr. Gaymon assaulted the officer, a 29-year-old member of the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, tried to flee and then, when cornered, attempted to disarm the officer.

The Gaymon family of Suwanee released a statement saying “We know that the police killed an innocent man, with no history of or disposition towards violence.” The Branch Brook Park is shown in the map below:

This is a sad and tragic story.  There appear to be no other witnesses to corroborate the statements provided by the undercover police officer involved. Perhaps more facts will come to light as the investigation continues. From the perspective of a Georgia car accident lawyer this story does bring up some important issues regarding roadside safety. Road side rest areas can be dangerous as out of town visitors can become victims of local crimes. On July 17, 2010 a man was shot in robbery at I-85 rest stop in North Carolina. Click here to read the full story on this shooting.

Two men were robbed, and one of them was shot multiple times by a gunman at a southbound Interstate 85 rest stop in Granville County late Thursday night, the Granville County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

We primarily deal with injuries related to Georgia car accidents. However, we also feel it is important to report on stories to make you aware and safe while traveling on the road. Georgia personal injury law is designed to protect the rights of injured drivers. Georgia criminal law is designed to punish criminal offenders.

Among the crimes linked to Florida rest areas in recent years:

• A Kentucky man was found murdered Jan. 4 at the Alligator Alley rest area near mile marker 40, on the western edge of Broward. Sheriff’s investigators say the man was killed during a botched cocaine sale. Authorities charged a Miramar man in the death. Six months earlier, authorities discovered a woman’s head floating in the water near a boat ramp at the rest area near mile marker 35 and eventually arrested two New York men in her killing.

• One man stabbed another during an argument at an I-95 rest stop in St. Lucie County in September 2006. The wounded man survived.

• In April 2001, a Missouri fugitive shot his girlfriend to death and then turned the gun on himself at a rest area along U. S. 41, near Naples. The couple had been traveling with an Oregon woman and her two young daughters. Weeks later, the woman was found shot to death in Nevada. The girls – 2 years old, the other 4 months — remain missing.

Other cases from across the country include the January 2005 death of an Ocala man, 70, who suffered a fatal heart attack immediately after a robbery attempt at an I-95 rest stop in Florence, S.C. In May 2003, someone beat a Pensacola woman inside a rest stop bathroom along Interstate 65, near Montgomery, Ala., leaving her critically injured. More commonly, authorities reportedly find stolen vehicles and fugitives at rest stops. Always take the time to be aware of your situational surroundings. If you find the need to pull over at a vehicle rest area off the highway, be on the lookout for suspicious behavior. If you feel you are in any danger it is best to leave the area immediately and report the suspicious activity to authorities.

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