Driver Jailed In Cobb Crossing Guard's Death

MABLETON, GA — An Uber driver is in jail, charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a 64-year-old Cobb County crossing guard.

Lamonte Whitaker, 38, of Lithonia, hit and killed Edna Umeh on Nov. 30 as she was working at an intersection on Veterans Memorial Highway in front of Lindley Middle School, Cobb County Police say. Umeh was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Whitaker also is charged with reckless driving in the case. According to Cobb County Sheriff's Office records, Whitaker was arrested at 5 p.m. Thursday and booked into Cobb County Detention Center, where he was being held without bond.

According to police reports, Whitaker was driving his 2016 Ford Focus westbound on Veterans Memorial at Club Drive when he swerved left, into the center turn lane, to avoid slowing traffic. That's where he struck Umeh, police say.

Police say the intersection had a flashing warning light, school-zone warning signs and a reduced speed limit of 25 m.p.h.

Firefighters had to cut off the roof of Whitaker's car to free him. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

Witness Sakinah Anderson told WSB-TV that Whitaker's car "burst out of nowhere."

"Everyone is stopping, but he's still going and he swerves into the center lane there. And the lady is like, ‘Stop, stop,'" Anderson told the station. "One cross guard went one way, she went the other way. Once she noticed he wasn't stopping, she tried to turn around a little bit, and he hit her.

"She was flipping up to the power lines. I knew it was over at that point."

Umeh's family told WSB she worked shifts at three different schools every day. Her son, Rahim Tarver, is now working his mother's shifts.

A spokesperson for Uber has said Whitaker did not have a passenger at the time of the crash.

Umeh's death has sparked calls for change along Veterans Memorial Highway. Cobb County Commissioner Lisa Cupid, who represents the area, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she has reached out to the county's transportation department to see what can be done to reduce speeds in that area of the highway.

Family and friends held a vigil and safety walk in Umeh's memoryearlier this month.

Whitaker photo courtesy Cobb County Sheriff's Office. Edna Umeh photo via GoFundMe