GSP Investigating Hwy. 17 Accident
Courtesy: Stephens Co. Sheriff Randy Shirley
One person is recovering from injuries after a multiple-vehicle accident on Georgia Highway 17 in the Martin area Tuesday morning.
It happened near the Stephens County-Franklin County line in Stephens County.
Martin Fire Chief Len Stovall said it started with a head-on collision between two vehicles.
“We had a head-on with a Ford Escort in the northbound lane,” said Stovall. “There was a Toyota traveling southbound. They hit head on. The Escort spun around after impact. Then, the tractor-trailer hit the Escort.”
The Georgia State Patrol said the Escort headed north on Highway 17 crossed the center line and struck the Toyota before being spun around and hit by the 18-wheeler.
Stovall said the driver of the Escort was injured and had to be removed from the vehicle by paramedics and fire crews.
“We had to extricate,” said Stovall. “He was conscious and talking.”
The GSP identified the driver of the Escort as 21-year-old Travis Smith of Eastanollee.
Troopers said he was initially taken to Stephens County Hospital and then transported on to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
According to the GSP, the driver of the Toyota, 60-year-old Gerald Reed of Elberton, and the driver of the tractor trailer, Gregory Jones, age unlisted, of Toccoa, were not injured.
The GSP said Smith was cited for driving on the wrong side of the road.
The accident blocked traffic for a couple of hours Tuesday morning in both directions on Georgia Highway 17 while crews cleaned up the wreck.
Traffic did return to normal around the lunch hour on Tuesday.