A 93-year-old Cornelia man was injured in a head-on collision early Wednesday while driving the wrong way on GA 365. Authorities say Chester Skelton went the wrong way on the exit ramp from Cornelia and traveled north up the highway in the left southbound lane.
A southbound driver in a Chevrolet Silverado tried to avoid the oncoming car by swerving into the righthand lane. As she did, her vehicle struck a Ford F-550 as Skelton’s Chrysler 200 Touring sedan collided head-on with her SUV.
The accident happened around 6:40 a.m. Dec. 23 and temporarily shut down both southbound lanes of the highway near Iron Ore Road.
Demorest firefighters extricated Skelton from his car. He suffered head, chest, and extremity injuries, according to officials. Habersham EMS transported Skelton to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. State Troopers issued him warnings for disobeying a traffic signal, distracted driving, and failure to yield right of way.
The driver of the Silverado, 46-year-old Annie Chamlee of Toccoa, was injured but not transported, the State Patrol says. Troopers charged her with DUI.
The pickup truck driver, Hal Free, 54, of Clarkesville, was not injured.
The southbound lanes near the crash site were temporarily closed as officers investigated the accident and crews cleared the scene.
