Alexander Cain
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a wreck on Sparta Highway (Ga. Highway 22) between a log truck and a blue Toyota Corolla Wednesday afternoon.
According to GSP Trooper Dale Watson, at 4:35 p.m. Wednesday the GSP responded to the scene near a section of highway where Ga. Highway 22 and Georgia Highway 24 branch off near Hillside Church of God.
Preliminary reports at the scene and tire marks from both vehicles seemed to indicate that the Toyota Corolla pulled out in front of an empty log truck near the intersection.
“What we know at this time is that there were two vehicles involved. It appears the Corolla may have pulled out in front of the truck, but I can’t say that for sure as of yet because I still need to finish speaking with the driver of the truck and take measurements of the scene,” Watson said. “I can tell you that the driver was taken to Oconee Regional Medical Center, and I believe the 18-year-old driver of the Corolla may be headed to Macon.”
The name of the truck driver and the name of the 18-year-old driver of the Corolla was not available at press time due to the family of the 18-year-old having not been notified, according to Watson.
“She’s still alive as far as I know, but we want to let her family know what has happened,” Watson said at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
After leaving the roadway, the log truck, with markings registered to a Hawkins Logging & Timber Co. in Thomson, continued up an embankment on the side of the road and came to a stop after striking a tree in the front yard of Gordon Butts, 462 Sparta Highway.
Watson stated the scene was still under investigation as of press time Wednesday and that it was still “too early” to officially determine a cause of the wreck or the circumstances under which the Corolla had been struck by the truck.
Randy Thompson of Milledgeville was in the downtown area when he was contacted by his father-in-law, Gordon Butts, on a potential visit to the Highway 22 home.
“We were in town and my father-in-law called us and told us that if we were still planning on coming in to be careful because there had been a major wreck. He didn’t tell us how bad it was. This was something else. I hope nobody got hurt,” Thompson said as he surveyed the scene in front of him.
Old Capitol Wrecker Service and Central Georgia Towing & Recovery eventually removed the vehicles from the roadway and opened up the site back to normal traffic at around 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The wreck is still under investigation and it was not known if any charges would be filed as a result, according to Watson.
