As of midnight Friday night, 18 people had lost their lives on Georgia’s roads and highways since the Thanksgiving weekend count began at 6:00 Wednesday night. That number includes one in northeast Georgia – the driver of a car that sped away from a traffic check, according to the state patrol.
GEORGIA STATE PATROL NARRATIVE:
“On Friday, November 24, 2023, at 10:17 pm, Troopers from Post 52 Hartwell and Deputies from the Hart County Sheriff’s Office were conducting a safety check on GA 77 at Bio Church Road, in Hart County.
A Nissan Frontier approached the safety check, and the driver could not produce a driver’s license. A Hart County Sheriff’s Deputy told the driver to pull into an adjacent gas station, but the driver fled from the area.
Troopers and Deputies activated their emergency equipment, but by the time they reached the vehicle, the driver left the roadway and struck a tree where the vehicle caught fire. The driver, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced deceased on scene.”
The toll also includes five people who died Thanksgiving Day when two vans collided head-on in south Georgia. That accident happened near Thomasville.
The holiday count runs through midnight Sunday.