Duluth Police Arrest Driver Accused of Fleeing Crash That Left Passenger Critically Injured

Duluth police have arrested the driver involved in a violent single-vehicle crash that left his passenger with life-threatening injuries earlier this month.

Around 5:27 a.m. on November 16, officers arrived at the intersection of Buford Highway and Duluth Highway and found a silver sedan crushed between a traffic light pole and a utility pole. The front-seat passenger, who was not wearing a seatbelt, had been ejected and was found in critical condition. He was taken to a nearby hospital and remains in critical condition.

Surveillance video showed the driver climbing out of the wrecked car and running away, leaving the injured passenger behind and failing to call for help.

Detectives spent the next two days reviewing physical evidence, video, seatbelt data, and witness accounts. Their investigation led them to 20-year-old Samuel Contreras-Garcia, who was taken into custody on November 18.

Contreras-Garcia is now in the Gwinnett County Jail facing several charges, including hit and run resulting in serious injury or death, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and driving without a license.