Georgia · Clarke County · Fatal
Lexington Road Accident, Athens GA: Maxton Ball, 9, Killed at Whit Davis Road
A 9-year-old from Ellenwood was struck by a pickup truck on Lexington Road at Whit Davis Road in Athens on Saturday night. He died Tuesday. Athens-Clarke County police have not identified the driver, and no charges have been announced.
Key facts
- Where
- Lexington Road at Whit Davis Road, Athens — Athens-Clarke County
- When
- Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, about 9:07 p.m., per FOX 5 Atlanta
- What
- A 2018 Dodge Ram struck a pedestrian, Athens-Clarke County police said
- Killed
- Maxton Ball, 9, of Ellenwood — taken to a hospital, died Tuesday, Aug. 11
- Driver
- Not identified by police
- Charges
- None announced
- Investigating
- Athens-Clarke County Police Department
- What happened on Lexington Road in Athens?
- Where is the Lexington Road and Whit Davis Road intersection?
- Who was killed in the Athens accident?
- Has anyone been charged?
- Who investigates a fatal pedestrian accident in Athens-Clarke County?
- How do you get an Athens-Clarke County accident report?
- How many pedestrians are killed on Georgia roads?
- What we don't know yet
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What happened on Lexington Road in Athens?
A 9-year-old boy who was struck by a pickup truck on Lexington Road in Athens on Saturday night has died, Athens-Clarke County police said.
He was Maxton Ball, 9, of Ellenwood, according to FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First. He was hit at the intersection of Lexington Road and Whit Davis Road at about 9:07 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. He was taken to a local hospital and died on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Police said the vehicle was a 2018 Dodge Ram. Accounts of how the boy came to be in the road differ: FOX 5 Atlanta reported that investigators determined the truck was “traveling westbound on Lexington Road when a pedestrian walked southbound into the street from the Hardee's parking lot,” while Atlanta News First reported that officers believe the Dodge Ram “was driving on Lexington Road when Ball got onto the roadway, resulting in the crash.”
It was the seventh fatal accident in Athens-Clarke County in 2026, FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First both reported.
| Date | What police have said happened |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026 | Maxton Ball is struck at Lexington Road and Whit Davis Road, about 9:07 p.m. per FOX 5 Atlanta, and is taken to a local hospital. |
| Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026 | He dies. |
| Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 | Athens-Clarke County police report the death. No charges announced; the investigation is open. |
Advertisement
Get a straight answer.Before you talk to anyone.
Ask what a police report actually establishes, what an adjuster is allowed to ask, and how long you have to act.
Where is the Lexington Road and Whit Davis Road intersection?
The accident happened where Lexington Road meets Whit Davis Road on the east side of Athens, inside the unified Athens-Clarke County government's city limits. FOX 5 Atlanta placed the boy's approach at a Hardee's parking lot on that corner.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department lists its headquarters at 3035 Lexington Road, Athens, GA 30605 — the same road.
Who was killed in the Athens accident?
Maxton Ball, 9, of Ellenwood, was identified by FOX 5 Atlanta and by Atlanta News First. Police have not released anything further about him.
The driver of the Dodge Ram has not been identified. Police have not released details about the driver, FOX 5 Atlanta reported, and have not said whether speed or weather contributed.
Has anyone been charged?
No charges have been announced. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that police have not said whether charges will be filed.
Atlanta News First reported that the investigation is continuing.
Who investigates a fatal pedestrian accident in Athens-Clarke County?
Athens-Clarke County is a unified city-county government, and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department is the local law enforcement agency for the whole of it. That is the department that responded to Lexington Road on Saturday and the one investigating the accident.
Anyone with information is asked to reach Senior Police Officer Lauren Barnard at (762) 400-7222 or [email protected], Atlanta News First reported.
How do you get an Athens-Clarke County accident report?
Because a county police department worked this accident, the report is an Athens-Clarke County record rather than a state one. The department's Obtain Accident Reports page directs the public to two approved vendors, CrashDocs and LexisNexis Risk, and states that accidents on private property are handled by the department instead, at a fee of $24.00.
Broader requests go through the department's Records Management Unit, which maintains the department's current and historical crime and traffic files and answers open records requests through an online form. Athens-Clarke County notes that O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 permits public agencies up to 90 business days to fulfill an open records request.
How many pedestrians are killed on Georgia roads?
Georgia recorded 319 pedestrian deaths in 2023, down from 345 in 2022 — in the preliminary figures published by the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety in Georgia Traffic Safety Facts: 2023 Preliminary Data. Pedestrian serious injuries fell over the same period, from 608 to 564.
Statewide traffic deaths moved the same direction, from 1,797 in 2022 to 1,674 in 2023, a 7 percent decrease, according to the same publication. Nationally, the Governors Highway Safety Association reported that “U.S. drivers struck and killed 7,148 pedestrians in 2024,” down 4.3 percent from the year before, in Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2024 Preliminary Data.
What we don't know yet
- The identity of the driver of the 2018 Dodge Ram
- Whether any charges will be filed
- Where on the roadway Maxton Ball was when he was struck — police have described how he entered it in different terms
- Whether speed or weather contributed — police have not disclosed that, FOX 5 Atlanta reported
- Which hospital he was taken to
Frequently asked questions
Who was killed in the Lexington Road accident in Athens?
Maxton Ball, 9, of Ellenwood. FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First both identified him.
When did the accident happen, and when did he die?
He was struck on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, at about 9:07 p.m., according to FOX 5 Atlanta. He died on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Athens-Clarke County police reported the death on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Where exactly did it happen?
At the intersection of Lexington Road and Whit Davis Road in Athens, in Athens-Clarke County.
What vehicle was involved?
A 2018 Dodge Ram, according to Athens-Clarke County police.
Has the driver been identified?
No. Police have not released details about the driver, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
Has anyone been charged?
No charges have been announced.
Which agency is investigating?
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact Senior Police Officer Lauren Barnard at (762) 400-7222 or [email protected].
How do I get a copy of an Athens-Clarke County accident report?
The police department points requests to two approved vendors, CrashDocs and LexisNexis Risk. Accidents on private property are handled by the department itself, which lists a $24.00 fee.
How many pedestrians are killed on Georgia roads?
Georgia recorded 319 pedestrian deaths in 2023, down from 345 in 2022, in preliminary figures published by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
Sources
- FOX 5 Atlanta — 9-year-old boy killed in crash at Athens intersection
- Atlanta News First — 9-year-old dies after being hit by car in Athens, police say
- Athens-Clarke County Police Department — Obtain Accident Reports
- Athens-Clarke County Police Department — Records Management Unit
- Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety — Georgia Traffic Safety Facts: 2023 Preliminary Data
- Governors Highway Safety Association — Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2024 Preliminary Data
Compiled by The Local Alert Georgia Staff from named news outlets and Athens-Clarke County government records, each linked above. The Local Alert is not a law enforcement agency and not a law firm. No one has been charged in this accident. Corrections and removal requests: see our corrections policy.
More Georgia coverage
Every accident, closure and incident we're tracking across the state.
Georgia feed →Reported and fact-checked as of .
Every source linked here was opened and verified at that time. This report reflects what was known and confirmed at that moment and is not updated automatically as a story develops. For the current status of an active investigation, contact the agency named above.
See something wrong here?
We report from named outlets and public records, and every fact here is linked to its source. If something is inaccurate — a name, a road, an agency, a number — tell us and we will correct it and note the correction.