A transport van carrying disabled passengers crashed in Franklin County, killing one man and injuring four others. The wreck occurred Wednesday afternoon on GA 59 near One Mile Road.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, Marcus L. Johnson, 48, of Lavonia, was driving a Chevrolet Express van north on GA 59. The van ran off the east shoulder of the road and hit a tree head-on.
The vehicle is owned by T&T Transport. It was carrying several disabled passengers ranging in age from 25 to 53 years old, according to Sgt. J.R. Dean of Georgia State Patrol Post 52 in Hartwell.
Emergency personnel transported Johnson and three rear passengers to St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia with non-life-threatening injuries. The front-seat passenger, Jimmy Tate, 73, of Toccoa, was trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Due to the various disabilities of the three rear passengers, officials are not releasing their names at this time, says Dean.
The state patrol is investigating the cause of the crash. GSP’s Troop B Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) responded to the crash and is assisting in that investigation.
