Polk County Grand Jury has indicted Ralph William Dover, III a/k/a Ryan Dover on charges of Felony Hit and Run, and Reckless Conduct, and Othel Doyle Kelley III, a/k/a Trey Kelley, on the charge of Reckless Conduct. The charges stem from the September 11, 2019 incident involving Eric Keais, who was traveling on his bike along North Main Street in Cedartown when he was stuck by Mr. Dover’s vehicle.
Mr. Dover did not immediately stop and contact law enforcement and emergency medical services, as required by law, but instead immediately contacted Mr. Kelley to come to the scene. As Mr. Keais laid in a ditch on the side of the road in need of emergency medical attention, law enforcement and emergency medical services were not contacted until approximately 45 minutes after the incident. Mr. Keais died as a result of his injuries sustained when Mr. Dover’s vehicle struck him.
District Attorney, Jack Browning, who presented the case to the Grand Jury, stated that “over the course of two days, the Grand Jurors heard a substantial amount of testimonial and video evidence from law enforcement officers and the GBI medical examiner, as well as several witness interview recordings from those involved in, and with direct knowledge of, the incident.”
Browning explained that, “because the Georgia State Patrol, the investigating agency, had not made any arrests in connection with the investigation, the Grand Jury was authorized to determine for themselves and to recommend the charges they believed were appropriate and justified under the law and supported by the evidence from the State Patrol’s investigation.”
Browning stated that “the Grand Jury’s decision to indict will result in the issuance of arrest warrants for Mr. Dover and Mr. Kelley, and the indictment will be docketed with the Superior Court and proceed as with any other case on the Court’s docket.”
KelleyÂ’s attorney, Lester Tate responded to WLBB RadioÂ’s request for comment:
“Today, I received a call from the Polk County District Attorney’s office advising me that Rep. Kelley had been charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the tragic accident which apparently took the life of Eric Keais on September 11, 2019. I have not yet had an opportunity to review the charges, but I am very familiar with the events surrounding the accident. I feel confident that Trey—who was not even in the car at the time of the collision and was called to the scene after the fact—did nothing wrong.  Once all the facts are known, I believe that he will be vindicated. We have been fully cooperative throughout the investigation and look forward to being able to present all of the facts in court at the appropriate time. We also continue to offer our deepest sympathy to Mr. Keais’ family.”
