The Dalton Police Department has concluded that a driver who died last month in a fatal crash was under the influence of drugs at the time of the wreck and that the drugs were a contributing factor in the incident.
Marquis Steffon Perry, 20, was killed on March 25, after his Ford Mustang crossed the center line on the North Bypass and struck a pickup truck head on. Three people in the pickup truck suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized. All three survived and are still recovering.
The investigation into the crash revealed that Perry’s Mustang was traveling approximately 55 miles per hour at the time of the crash, which occurred near Sawgrass Road on the Bypass just after 4:30 pm. Data recorded by the vehicle’s onboard computer and reviewed during the execution of a search warrant for the vehicle indicates that the Perry never applied the brakes before impact and that he was not wearing his seat belt. A DPD Traffic Unit investigator also executed a search warrant for Perry’s medical tests performed after the crash which indicated the presence of methamphetamine, amphetamine, and THC (a chemical compound in marijuana) in his system.
The investigation into the crash concluded that contributing factors in the crash were failure to maintain lane and driving under the influence of drugs.