In Athens in 2012, it was much more likely that someone was going to die in a traffic fatality than in a homicide, according to police records.

There were nine traffic deaths and five homicides last year, said Athens Clarke County Assistant Police Chief Carter Greene.

Some of those who died include:

A collision in early December at Timothy Road and the Athens Bypass killed a 90-year-old passenger. A man died when he lost control of his motorcycle on Epps Bridge Parkway. In November, a driver from Jefferson hit and killed a pedestrian on Old Hull Road. A driver was killed in the Wal Mart parking lot when his car hit a parked tractor trailer. Another motorcyclist was killed after leaving a bar on the Atlanta Highway. A man was killed en route to Georgia Square Mall with his family to see Santa in December.

Those murdered include Quincy Walter, who was killed in July; Jesse Franklin Howard and Shawn Doughty, who were killed in separate incidents in October; a newborn, who was allegedly killed by its mother, Cassandra Norwood, in November; and Edward Davidson, who was allegedly shot and killed by three would-be burglars late November.

"On a per capita basis, Athens is the third safest city in Georgia, after Alpharett and Roswell," said Greene.

There were also 10 suicides in Athens in 2012.