A Toccoa man faces possible DUI charges for a head-on collision that seriously injured him and three others Wednesday afternoon. State troopers investigating the accident say 43-year-old Joseph Lee Austin is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The crash happened around 12:25 p.m. on GA 17 Alternate/Talmadge Drive at Arlo Todd Road. Troopers say Austin was traveling south on Talmadge Drive in a Ford Mustang convertible when he veered into the northbound lane and struck a Toyota Tacoma Double Cab pickup truck head-on.
72-year-old Virginia Allen Ramey of Toccoa was driving the pickup. The wreck injured both drivers and two passengers in Austin’s vehicle. They’re identified as John Michael Lumpkin, 20, and Jimmy McDonald, 77, both of Clarkesville.
“Both vehicles had heavy front end damage. Two occupants were heavily trapped in the car and had to be extricated,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Capt. Matt Ruark.
McDonald suffered serious life-threatening injuries, according to the Georgia State Patrol. All of the others suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Due to the number of injured, officials requested an additional ambulance. Habersham County EMS transported three of the patients to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Stephens County EMS transported one patient to Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa.
Authorities temporarily shut down the section of Talmadge Drive near the crash site while crews worked the scene.
This article has been updated with additional information
