Two pedestrians were killed early Friday when they were hit by a pickup truck on Ga. 400 in northern Forsyth County.
Michael Sweat, 44, of Dawsonville and Kayla Howard, 25, of Dahlonega had stopped their vehicles in the northbound emergency lanes of Ga. 400 near Settingdown Road and got out to look for a lost item on or near the road, according to Deputy Michael Hobbs, a traffic investigator with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
The two were hit by a 2001 GMC Sonoma, driven by Michael Stembridge, 52, of Cleveland. Hobbs said the investigation showed Stembridge did not see either pedestrian, who were both wearing dark clothes. The accident happened around 2 a.m. Friday.
Stembridge attempted to avoid the accident, but still hit the first pedestrian, who was standing in the left northbound lane of Ga. 400. As Stembridge veered left to avoid the first pedestrian, the second, who was standing on the edge of the road, was also struck.
Both Sweat and Howard died at the scene. The accident happened around 2 a.m. Friday.
Hobbs said impairment or distraction are not considered as factors in the crash, and no charges are pending. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Specialist Unit.
