A Habersham County firefighter involved in a fiery vehicle crash on Camp Creek Road earlier this month was suspended from work due to that wreck.
County documents released to Now Habersham state David Thompson, 44, of Mt. Airy, was suspended for two days without pay “due to being involved in a vehicle accident that could have been avoided.” The paperwork states that Thompson’s “judgment error” led to the crash.
Thompson was returning to Station 14 after responding to a call when the crash occurred on Friday, June 2.
Pulled into path of oncoming truck
In his official statement following the crash, Thompson said he had turned on the fire engine’s blinker and notified Dispatch he was back at the station. Then he says, “I pulled into the path of the oncoming truck.”
21-year-old George Hames of Clarkesville drove the Ford F-150 that struck the fire truck. The pickup hit the rear of Engine-14, causing both vehicles to catch fire.
Hames told Now Habersham he saw the fire truck but that it “just whipped right in front of me.”
“I T-boned the side of the fire truck, and it blew up the gas tank, and my truck caught on fire as well as the fire truck,” he said on the day of the wreck.
Medics at the firehouse reported hearing a loud noise and rushed to assist the drivers. Neither Hames nor Thompson were injured. Both refused to be transported to the hospital, the documents state.
Disciplinary actions
Thompson and another firefighter extinguished the vehicle fire. The wreck totaled Hames’ pickup and caused extensive damage to the fire engine.
Thompson’s supervisor issued him a written warning for failing to drive with due regard and not wearing his seat belt. He was ordered to undergo 24 hours of defensive driving training, including a course in Gainesville that the county will pay for him to attend.
The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) did not file any charges against either driver immediately following the crash. Now that the county’s investigation is complete, Now Habersham asked if any charges would be filed. GSP Post 7 Commander Donnie Saddler said the trooper who worked the accident told him that no charges would be filed but said the trooper did issue Thompson a warning.
