Eleven deaths reported in Georgia during long Christmas weekend
Albany-based GSP Post 40 worked fatal accident in Baker County
By Carlton Fletcher
ALBANY — Sgt. First Class John VanLandingham, the commander of Georgia State Patrol Post 40, said Tuesday afternoon 11 fatalities were recorded on Georgia highways during the Christmas holiday travel period, including one in Baker County.
Troopers with Post 40 worked a Dec. 23 accident on Georgia Highway 37 at Clear Lake Road in which a pedestrian, 44-year-old Patrick Scott Murphy of Dawson, was hit by a tractor-trailer rig.
“The report shows that Vehicle 1, a 2015 Freightliner, was traveling west on Georgia 37 at Clear Lake Road when a pedestrian ran north into the travel lane occupied by the vehicle,” VanLandingham said. “The victim went airborne and landed 63 feet west of the impact area.
“The pedestrian was transported by Baker County EMS ground transport directly to the morgue in Camilla, so obviously paramedics were unable to revive Mr. Murphy at the scene.”
VanLandingham said troopers at Post 40 worked eight crashes during the holiday travel period, which started Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. Staff at the post also assisted local law enforcement agencies in Baker, Worth, Lee and Dougherty counties with other accidents.
Statewide, in addition to the Baker County death, traffic fatalities were worked by troopers with Post 13, Tifton, Post 20, Dublin; Post 24, Newnan; Post 29, Paulding; Post 31, Valdosta, and Post 36, Douglas. Fatalities also were worked by police departments in Cobb County, College Park and Henry County.
VanLandingham noted that the New Year’s Day holiday travel period in the state would start Friday at 6 p.m. and end at midnight Monday.
“You’ll see us out in force Friday, doing a lot of road checks to kind of remind everyone to drive safely during the New Year’s holiday,” the GSP post commander said.
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