Cedartown Man Gets 5 Years in Prison for Fatal Bicyclist Hit and Run

Ralph “Ryan” Dover III, 41 of Aragon, was sentenced to five years in prison this week after being convicted of a hit and run that involved a bicyclist in Cedartown back in 2019.

Dover hit Eric Keais on North Main Street near the connector and drove away before calling Polk County State Rep. Trey Kelley for advice.

Dover III was convicted of felony hit and run resulting in serious injury or death and misdemeanor reckless conduct.

Dover received the maximum sentence for the felony crime allowed under state law, which was the prosecution’s recommendation. The sentence was merged with the misdemeanor count.

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Ralph “Ryan” Dover III was convicted this week for the Cedartown hit and run that killed Eric Keais back on September 11, 2019.

Authorities said that Dover was southbound on North Main Street when he struck Keais, who was driving in the same direction on a bicycle.

Dover is accused of continuing over a half mile down the road before stopping and calling Ga State Rep. Trey Kelley instead of 911.  It wasn’t for another 40 minutes that law enforcement was notified of the accident.

Keais was later found lying in a ditch in serious condition. He succumbed to his injuries after being taken to a local hospital.

Dr. Stacey Desamours, who supervised the autopsy of Keais for the GBI medical examiner’s office, said that the victim’s injuries, while serious and life-threatening, were treatable and survivable had he been attended to within minutes of being injured.

Dover’s attorney Brian McWhorter said his client did not do anything that caused the collision and was cooperative with police throughout the course of the evening. He added that Dover said that he knew he had hit something but did not think it was a person. He added that he drove to the convenience store because it was familiar and well-lit.

Dover was convicted of hit and run resulting in death and reckless conduct.

Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 29. The maximum sentence allowed under state law for a conviction of hit and run resulting in serious injury or death is five years.