One person was injured in a single-vehicle wreck that shut down a section of the highway between Helen and Hiawassee. State Route 75 North, north of Helen, was closed for an extended period of time Wednesday as first responders worked to free the driver from the wreckage.
White County E-911 dispatched first responders to the scene around 6:26 p.m. on December 15. The Georgia State Patrol also responded. According to troopers, the Chevrolet Equinox was traveling northbound passing Andrews Cove in White County when the driver became distracted while trying to wipe the fog off the front windshield. The Equinox crossed the center line and ran off the roadway.
“The vehicle with a single occupant left the roadway and settled about 300 feet down an embankment. The accident resulted in the entrapment of the individual, and the roadway was shut down for an extended amount of time,” says White County Public Safety spokesperson Bryce Barrett.
EMS transported the driver to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities have not released their name.
The rescue was a joint effort between Helen Fire and White County Fire Services. Towns County Fire provided additional manpower.
The roadway was reopened shortly before 9:30 p.m., Barrett says.
