A Habersham County Transit bus driver faces charges in a wreck that injured him and a Toccoa teenager. The wreck happened near Hollywood on GA 15/US 441 around 7:15 a.m. Thursday, September 23.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, Brent Allen Walter, 54, of Cornelia, was traveling east crossing the highway onto John Wood Road when he failed to yield and ran into the path of a northbound Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Cherokee struck the bus on the passenger side.
After impact, the bus rotated and slid off the road, stopping against a guardrail. The Cherokee, driven by 16-year-old Paisely Davidson of Toccoa, traveled off the north shoulder of John Wood Road and hit a guardrail before catching on fire.
There were no passengers on board the bus at the time of the accident, according to Habersham County officials. The wreck sent both drivers to the hospital.
Habersham EMS transported Davidson to Habersham Medical Center in Demorest with minor injuries. Walter was treated and released from Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.
Walter has been employed as a transport driver with Habersham County for six months. The State Patrol says he will be charged with failure to yield.
Habersham County spokesperson Carolyn Gibson says the county can not comment on the status of Walter’s employment. The Transportation Department is still assessing the extent of damage to the county-owned vehicle.
This is the second accident this week in Habersham County involving a bus.
On Monday, September 21, a state trooper arrested a county school bus driver following a wreck in Cornelia. The trooper charged 70-year-old Gary Michael Allen of Mt. Airy with DUI drugs less safe. Allen is out of jail on a $1500 bond.
