RABUN COUNTY, Ga. — A Dawsonville man was killed Sunday morning when his motorcycle collided with an SUV on GA 15/US 441 North near Lakemont.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened around 9:36 a.m. on October 12. Investigators say a 2023 Land Rover Defender driven by 70-year-old Arthur French of Lakemont was stopped in the left turn lane, waiting to make a U-turn to head north on GA 15.
When traffic cleared, French began his turn and entered the northbound lanes. At that moment, a motorcycle traveling north in the right lane struck the front right side of the SUV, the Georgia State Patrol said.
Troopers identified the motorcyclist as 29-year-old Rodrigo Silva Manzo of Dawsonville. The impact caused Manzo’s motorcycle to veer off the road, hit a guardrail, and vault over a second guardrail before coming to rest on the east shoulder. Manzo was thrown from the bike, striking a road sign before landing off the roadway.
The Land Rover came to a controlled stop in the median, partially in the northbound lane. French was not injured.
The State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is assisting with the investigation. The State Patrol said charges are pending.
