MARIETTA, Ga. — Marietta police say a group of "car enthusiasts" crossed into traffic in a no-passing zone and crashed head-on with an elderly man. Multiple other vehicles were involved and caused subsequent accidents.
The group was traveling westbound on Whitlock Avenue when the lead car decided to cross into oncoming traffic, police said.
Other members of the group followed and an accident occurred just west of the intersection with Dallas Highway Circle in front of Kennesaw Memorial Park Cemetery.
The motorist who was traveling eastbound, an 84-year-old man later identified as Max Lorenz of Marietta, was taken to the hospital with suspected life-threatening injuries, they said.
In an update provided later in the day, police said the driver who crossed the center line was 41-year-old Lamar Barker of Austell, Georgia. Members of the group said they had been separated due to red lights and were passing vehicles in an attempt to rejoin their group on the way to a meet.
It was during this attempt that police said the accident occurred and sent Barker's Dodge Charger directly into the elderly driver's car before spinning out into the rear of a Chevrolet Malibu. The elderly driver's car then slammed into a Ford Mustang.
Police said the Charger, Mustang, and Malibu involved in the accident were all part of a motor club. Charges have not yet been filed and the accident is still active with Marietta's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Unit handling the case.
Police are asking anyone with information about the accident to contact Investigator C. Henry at 770-794-5352.