East Cobb Man, 85, in Serious Crash

An 85-year-old East Cobb man driving south on Canton Road collided with a car that swerved in front of him Saturday afternoon.

Charles E. Meredith of East Cobb suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening, but the other driver, 23-year-old Jose L. Maldonato III of Woodstock, was left in critical condition, Cobb County police reported.

Maldonato was drivng a gray Mitsubishi Lancer north on Canton Road about 3:20 p.m. Saturday when he swerved in front of Meredith, who was southbound in a silver 1995 Infiniti J30, according to a news release from Cobb County police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce.

The Infiniti smashed into the door on the right side of the Lancer.

The crash occurred at the intersection with Shallowford Road as the stoplight for the Canton Road drivers was cycling from yellow to red, investigators with the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Unit found.

The Lancer swerved into oncoming traffic, police said, to avoid hitting a white passenger car that was turning left from southbound Canton Road onto eastbound Shallowford Road before the light turned red. Witnesses described that vehicle as an early 1990s Cadillac or Oldsmobile, Pierce said.

Maldonato was flown to Atlanta Medical Center in critical condition.

Meredith was taken to .

STEP investigators want to talk to the driver of the white car that caused Maldonato to swerve out of the way. That white car did not make contact with the Lancer and continued east on Shallowford Road.

Police ask anyone with information that could help identify that driver to call 770-499-4152.