Head-on collision leaves 1 dead, another critically injured

Billy Hobbs, The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.
·2 min read

Dec. 9—EATONTON, Ga. — A head-on collision between a car and an SUV late Tuesday left one person dead and another one in critical condition and hospitalized in Athens, local authorities say.

The collision remains under investigation by deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

It marked the second traffic fatality in less than a week in Putnam County.

The latest such collision happened at 10:42 p.m. Tuesday, about a half-mile from the Putnam-Morgan county line at the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and Griffth Road.

Putnam County Sheriff Howard R. Sills identified the deceased victim as Kayla Marie Lewis, 37, of Abbeville, South Carolina.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene from what Putnam County Coroner Hollis Harrison described as blunt force trauma.

Harrison said the victim had to be extricated from the car involved in the collision.

When Deputy Mark Adams arrived on the scene, he discovered a 2013 Nissan Altima partially in the roadway and a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban overturned, according to Sills.

The driver of the SUV was identified as Gregory Austin Meyer, 31, of Eatonton. He, along with a passenger, identified as Deshawn Mosley, also of Eatonton, were treated at the scene by firefighters/first responders with Putnam County Fire Department and personnel with Putnam County Emergency Medical Services.

Both men were later taken by ambulance to Piedmont-Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens.

Sills said Meyer left the scene of the collision in critical condition, while Mosley has since been released from the hospital.

The sheriff said the deceased victim was traveling southbound in the car, while Mosley had been traveling northbound in the SUV.

Sills said it had not been determined as of Wednesday afternoon which one of the vehicles was at fault.

"We're still investigating that part of it," Sills said.

The victim who died earlier this week was the second person to be killed in a traffic crash in Putnam County since early last Saturday.

The victim in that single-vehicle crash was identified as 35-year-old Joseph Gary Roebuck of Eatonton. Roebuck was driving along the 200 block of Little River Trail when he ran off the roadway and overturned at least twice.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by Putnam County Deputy Coroner Andre Williams.