13-Year-Old Pedestrian Struck and Dragged by Car Near Tucker Middle School at Fellowship Road Intersection in DeKalb County, Georgia

A 13-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after he was struck by a car and dragged beneath the vehicle while walking home from school in Tucker, Georgia, on Tuesday afternoon. The crash happened near the intersection of Fellowship Road and DeKalb County Road, a short distance from Tucker Middle School. The teen, Anderson Castro, told Channel 2 Action News that he was crossing at a four-way stop when one driver signaled for him to cross. Moments later, he said, a different vehicle struck him from behind. Witnesses reported that the vehicle dragged him several hundred feet before stopping while people nearby shouted for the driver to stop. Video recorded by bystanders shows people rushing to help, and witnesses said they pulled the trapped teen to safety. Castro suffered severe injuries. His mother, Karen Castro, said she is grateful to the bystanders who helped her son, sent her videos from the scene, and helped contact her. According to DeKalb County police, the driver remained at the scene after the crash. Investigators are continuing to examine what led up to the incident, and no charges have been announced.

Location and Infrastructure

Tucker is a city in northeastern DeKalb County, just outside Interstate 285 and near the communities of Stone Mountain and Lilburn. Fellowship Road serves residential neighborhoods in the area, and the crash site is close enough to Tucker Middle School that students regularly walk through it during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. Castro said the intersection where he was hit is controlled by a four-way stop. At all-way stops, drivers take turns according to right-of-way rules, and pedestrians cross within marked or unmarked crosswalks. Traffic safety experts describe a recognized hazard at these intersections, sometimes called a "multiple threat" situation. It occurs when one driver stops and waves a pedestrian across, but a driver in another lane or approach does not see the pedestrian and proceeds. The risk is higher when children are walking in larger numbers, such as after school lets out.

Legal Rights and Considerations

Several Georgia laws may be relevant to pedestrian crashes. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91 requires drivers to stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks at intersections. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-72 governs stop-sign right of way. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-93 requires drivers to exercise due care to avoid pedestrians and to take proper precautions when they see a child.

Georgia is an at-fault insurance state that uses modified comparative negligence (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). Under this rule, a person's recovery is reduced by their share of fault and barred entirely if that share is 50 percent or more. Georgia requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage may also apply.

The general statute of limitations for personal injury is two years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). For minors, this deadline is generally tolled until age 18 (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-90), although parents' related claims may follow separate deadlines. Potential compensation may include medical expenses, future care costs, and pain and suffering. This information is general and is not legal advice.

Related Resources

Emergency Services

• Emergency: Call 911
• DeKalb County Police Department – https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/police-services
• DeKalb County Fire Rescue – https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/fire-rescue
• City of Tucker – https://www.tuckerga.gov

Traffic Safety Resources

• Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety – https://www.gahighwaysafety.org
• Georgia Department of Transportation – https://www.dot.ga.gov
• DeKalb County School District (student transportation and safety) – https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership – https://www.saferoutespartnership.org

Support Services for Accident Victims and Families

• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – https://www.choa.org
• Georgia Crisis and Access Line: 1-800-715-4225 or https://www.mygcal.com
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
• Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program – https://crimevictimscomp.ga.gov

Georgia Traffic Laws and Regulations

• Official Code of Georgia Annotated (Title 40, Motor Vehicles and Traffic) – https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-40/
• Georgia Department of Driver Services – https://dds.georgia.gov
• Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner – https://oci.georgia.gov