A somber tribute to a fallen firefighter took a frightening turn when a motorcyclist was critically injured on his way to the cemetery. The wreck happened during Thursday’s funeral procession for retired Banks County Fire Capt. Richie Alford.
According to the preliminary report from the Georgia State Patrol, Shawn Joseph Davis, 28, was driving a Harley Davidson XL1200C in the procession as it traveled south on Ga. 365 in Cornelia. He “lost control of his vehicle for unknown reasons on wet roadway surfaces and overturned onto the pavement,” the report states.
Davis was ejected from the motorcycle. The wreck occurred around 2:45 p.m. just south of the southbound on-ramp to Ga. 385/US 441 Business.
First responders participating in the procession were there to assist him. Habersham County EMS transported Davis to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.
Second wreck minutes later
A second wreck occurred twenty minutes later on Ga. 365 South near mile marker 46.
State troopers say Amanda Underwood Hunter, 34, of Demorest, was driving a Ford F-150 that rear-ended a Honda Civic stopped in traffic. After impact, the pickup left the roadway and struck a ditch and embankment.
The wreck did not injure Hunter or the Honda driver, Chad Stephen Thenthaysong, 32, of Mt. Airy.
Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa also investigated this wreck. Troopers issued Hunter two warnings.
Traffic was tied up in the southbound lanes for over an hour as emergency crews cleared the wreckage and state troopers investigated the two accidents.
