Highway 52 East was shut down for nearly seven hours after a Feb. 20 accident involving a log truck that overturned after being struck by another vehicle. That wreck is among the latest in a growing list of automobile accidents to occur on a section of the busy highway near Ridgemont Drive.
Because the wreck is still being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT), a full accident report is not yet available for release, according to the GSP, one of several emergency response agencies that worked the Feb. 20 accident scene.
The state patrol did release the following details:
The investigation revealed that vehicle 1 was traveling west on Georgia 52, and vehicle 2 (the log truck) was traveling behind it. Vehicle 1 attempted to pass in a no passing zone, nearly striking a vehicle approaching the opposite direction. Vehicle 1 swerved back into the westbound lane and struck vehicle 2. Vehicle 2 was forced off the roadway and overturned.
The road was closed from a little after 1 p.m. until almost 8 p.m. to allow the accident scene to be cleared, confirmed the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office. The log truck driver, whose name has not been released, sustained serious injuries requiring helicopter transport to a hospital.
Driver 1, who the GSP said was from Washington, received numerous charges including serious injury by vehicle, passing in a no passing zone, reckless driving, obstruction of law enforcement officers and giving false statements. The driver fled the scene after giving information to the investigating trooper, the GSP report stated.
Charges do not typically result in an immediate arrest when SCRT is involved. Arrests, if applicable, are typically made when the reports are completed. It’s likely that warrants will eventually be issued in this case, the GSP noted.
Gilmer County Fire and Rescue was at the accident scene for approximately two-and-a-half hours from start to finish, noted Will Sergent, EMS division chief.
“It was a pretty lengthy extrication due to the damage to the vehicle,” he added. “The logs had come off and rolled, which further made getting (the driver) out safely an issue. We had an extensive extrication, then had to go into flying (the driver) from the scene. Air Life 3 was there and was able to assist us.”
The area of 52 East where this crash occurred has become a frequent destination for emergency response personnel. Many of the accidents there have required air transport, with helicopters landing either on R&A Orchards property or at the nearby Ridgemont subdivision, Sergent confirmed. Last year, a two-vehicle crash in the same vicinity required the use of five medical transport helicopters, he noted.
“Not long before that (accident), there was a serious head-on collision right there, and both drivers had to be flown out. We’ve had quite a few very serious accidents there in nearly the exact same location,” Sergent said.
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced last year that it’s looking at ways to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents on the heavily traveled “Apple Alley,” much of which is two-lane.
Suggested improvements include putting in left turn lanes at R&A Orchards and the Ridgemont subdivision and flattening and improving part of the road that includes a twisty curve near the county jail.
Those projects are currently in the preliminary design phase, noted Joe Schulman, of the GDOT district 6 office.
“We expect a full schedule for preliminary design, right of way and final design will be developed by this summer,” he added.
There is no set timeframe for when physical work might begin, Schulman noted.