Mableton crosswalk named for Crossing Guard killed in the line of duty

A crosswalk in front of a middle school in Mableton was recently named after Edna Umeh, a crossing guard who was hit and killed by a car while on duty. On Nov. 30, 2017, as she directed traffic on Veterans Memorial Highway in front of Lindley Middle School, Umeh, 64, was fatally hit by a car. Family members successfully pushed for safety improvements following her death and Cobb County conducted a safety audit of Veterans Memorial Highway. In May 2018, they installed two electronic road signs that tell drivers how fast they are going. In March, the county activated a HAWK, or High-intensity Activated beacon that allow pedestrians to push a button notifying motorists that they are trying to cross the road. The driver of the vehicle, Lamonte Whitaker of Lithonia is serving five years in prison for striking Umeh with his vehicle.