5 people injured in Tuesday wreck

Published 9:50 am Friday, August 10, 2012

Several people were injured in a wreck on State Route 97 South on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol.

The wreck happened at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday on State Route 97 South. The location was between State Route 97’s intersection with Ellis Road and Davis Lane in southwestern Decatur County, or about 18 miles southwest of Bainbridge.

Five people were injured in the wreck, including one seriously, according to an accident report filed by Trooper First Class David Fretwell of the GSP’s Colquitt, Ga., post.

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According to Fretwell, Eugene Grimsley, 48, of Colquitt, Ga., was driving south on State Route 97 in a 2008 Dodge Charger, while Alfonso Jackson, 49, of Chattahoochee, Fla., was driving north in a 2009 Dodge Ram pickup.

As the two vehicles approached each other in opposite directions, Grimsley’s car crossed over into the lane and collided with the front driver’s side of Jackson’s pickup truck. Both vehicles were forced off the highway’s eastern shoulder before coming to a stop.

Grimsley had visible injuries, including a knot on his head and possibly a broken leg, Capt. Justin Bedwell of the Sheriff’s Office said. Grimsley was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by Decatur County Fire and Rescue, who cut off the driver’s side of the Charger to get the driver out, Bedwell said.

An emergency medical helicopter was requested and landed at the Florida State Hospital in Chattachoochee, Fla., about 5.5 miles southwest of the crash site, Bedwell said. The helicopter transported Grimsley to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, according to the GSP’s accident report.

Jackson, the pickup truck’s driver, had non-serious injuries to his head. Jackson had five passengers, including his wife and children, according to Bedwell and the GSP. Three of the passengers, including Jackson’s wife, suffered non-serious injuries. Two others were un-injured.

Jackson and his injured passengers were transported by ambulance to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Bedwell said Gadsden County, Fla., emergency responders also came to the crash site to assist, due to the close proximity to Florida.