A head-on collision early Sunday in Elbert County claimed the life of a 19-year-old. State troopers say Micah Orlanden Isiah Blackwell of Dewey Rose was killed when a pickup truck struck the Hyundai Elantra he was driving.
The crash happened around 5 a.m. on Georgia Highway 17 near Hewell Road.
Troopers from Georgia State Patrol Post 52 in Hartwell investigated the crash. According to their preliminary report, Jose Ricardo Napoles Mendez was driving south on Highway 17 in a Silverado pickup truck when he crossed the centerline and collided with the northbound Elantra.
The impact of the crash caused the pickup truck to overturn.
The county coroner pronounced Blackwell dead at the scene. Elbert County EMS transported the 33-year-old Mendez to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with serious injuries.
Troopers say they suspect Mendez was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He faces multiple charges, including first-degree vehicular homicide, DUI, failure to maintain lane, and driving while unlicensed.
GSP’s Troop B Specialized Collison Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is assisting with the investigation.
