Two 18-year-olds from East Cobb were tragically killed in Johnson Ferry Road accidents in 2018.
Alexander Seidnitzer, who worked at Zeal Kitchen & Bar and was planning to attend culinary school, was heading southbound on Johnson Ferry near Bishop Lake Road on the morning of March 26 when he slammed into a landscaping truck that was pulling out of a subdivision.
After being rushed to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, Seidnitzer was pronounced dead. No charges were filed in the accident.
Friends, family and work colleagues held a celebration of life event in his memory at Zeal.
On the July 4 weekend, a recent graduate of Pope High School was traveling in a vehicle further up on Johnson Ferry when she rolled down a window and began yelling and screaming before falling out and hitting the road.
Alyssa Prindle, who was planning to attend Georgia Southern University, never left intensive care at Kennestone and died of her injuries on July 25.
The driver of the SUV, 17-year-old Abigail Cook, also of East Cobb, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, DUI and other charges. In November, she was indicted by a Cobb grand jury.
Other major public safety stories for 2018 in East Cobb include the August conviction of a man for the murder of Jerry Moore, who was found stabbed to death in his home off Holly Springs Road in January 2014.
Johnathan Allen Wheeler worked at a Woodstock bakery that Moore financed and that was run by Ross Byrne, who was Moore’s roommate. Byrne was charged with homicide two weeks after Wheeler was sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Former Pope volunteer wrestling coach Ron Gorman received long sentences for sexually abusing young athletes, both in East Cobb and in Pennsylvania, where he coached previously.
A former Kell High School teacher of the year is facing charges of sexually assaulting a student from 2016 and 2018.
Robert New, a former officer at Cobb Police Precinct 4 in East Cobb, was arrested for aggravated assault of a woman, solicitation of a minor girl, possession of computer pornography and other charges. He resigned shortly after that in June.
Crime
- Man arrested after trying to purchase child at Kroger
Ron Gorman, former Pope volunteer wrestling coach, sentenced for sex abuse - Inmate who escapes Fullers Park work detail captured
- Panhandler sought in Chattahoochee NRA area
- Kell HS teacher charged with sexual assault on student
- Sandy Plains Road bank robbery suspect dies
- Mother of 4 found strangled to death at home
- Fake cop alert issued for Terrell Mill Road area
- East Cobb Catholic priests respond to sex abuse allegations
- East Cobb man arrested in multi-state child exploitation probe
- Officer-involved shooting at Akers Mill complex
- Woman charged with leaving kids in hot car
- Former Precinct 4 officer charged with assault | Resigns
- Man arrested in church vandalisms, including Noonday Baptist
- Former East Cobb attorney indicted for identity theft
Traffic
- 2 killed in Powers Ferry Road car collision
- 3 Mountain View ES students, mothers, die in Texas crash
- Woman charged with vehicular homicide in Roswell Road crash
Johnathan Wheeler, convicted of a 2014 murder in East Cobb
Courts and trials
- Former East Cobb wrestling coach sentenced for sex abuse in Pa. | Pleads guilty in Ga.
- Man convicted in 2014 East Cobb murder gets 2 life terms | Ex-business partner of victim charged
- Man convicted of child rape sentenced to 2 life terms
- Former Johnson Ferry holistic clinic owner sentenced for fraud
- NE Cobb man gets life for stabbing wife to death
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