As is typical this time of year, the crashes on Highway 365 (also known as U.S. 441 North/Georgia Highway 15) are picking up. There were four major wrecks in a five-day span this week.
On Sunday morning, two cars were totaled when they collided near Crane Mill Road.
A 2006 Ford Ranger pickup truck was traveling east on Crane Mill and stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of 365. A Gray 2010 Nissan Frontier Pickup truck was traveling north on 365 in the right lane. The Ranger – driven by Bobby Lee Thomas, 52, of Alto – attempted to cross the northbound lanes of the highway when it traveled in front of the Frontier, causing a collision. Thomas was cited for failure to yield after stopping at a stop sign and was not injured.
Marie Claire Arciga Armellini, 28, of Suwannee and passenger Sabastian Andres Armellini, 32, of Cornelia were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with non-life threatening injuries.
A day earlier on Saturday morning, a one-car crash resulted in a Honda Civic crashing into a tree down a steep embankment near Antioch Church Road.
Asia James, 18, lost control of her car and exited her lane. An overcorrection caused a spin and the crash. She was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with minor injuries.
On Friday afternoon, there was a previous wreck in that same area of Antioch Church Road.
A Lexus RX350 was traveling north on Highway 365 in the left lane, while a Toyota Highlander was traveling north in the right lane. Lexus driver Elaine Prather, 71, of Smyrna failed to maintain her lane, traveling into the right lane, striking the Highlander.
The collision caused Prather to jerk the wheel to the left, causing her vehicle to yaw to the left. The Lexus left the roadway, traveled across the median and across the southbound lanes of Highway 365, coming to a controlled rest on the west shoulder. The Highlander – driven by Kay Keller, 51, of Watkinsville – came to a controlled rest on the shoulder, then relocated to the west side shoulder.
Neither driver was injured.
On June 22 just after noon, a Chevy Silverado collided with a motorcycle near Cody Road.
Both were traveling south on Highway 365, when the Silverado – driven by Nathaniel Newton, 43, of Hogansville – moved from the left lane to the right lane in order to yield to an approaching emergency vehicle with its siren activated. Newton told Georgia State Patrol officers that he did not see the motorcycle beside him and proceeded to change lanes.
The motorcycle was struck, causing it to overturn onto its side and eject both occupants. It then struck a guardrail face before coming to a final rest on its side on the west shoulder facing east.
The motorcycle riders Todd McCollum and Amy McCollum, both 41 of Toccoa, were transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with serious injuries.
– Staff reports