A grim discovery was made near a car crash site in Jackson County as a body was found partially submerged in a river on Wednesday. According to Fox5Atlanta, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the death investigation subsequent to the body being found. The GBI is coordinating with local agencies after Jefferson Police Department officers responded to the scene in a wooded area off Fields Road around 11:15 a.m.
The Jefferson Fire Department, Jackson County Emergency Management Agency, and the Jackson County Coroner’s Office lent their aid after the initial discovery. The body is believed to be that of the driver of a vehicle which had been involved in an earlier crash reported on Sunday. As NowGeorgia.com reports, the vehicle in question apparently "traveled a considerable distance from the roadway before it was located."
The identity of the deceased remains undetermined but the body will be transported to the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur for an autopsy to gather more information. The recovery and investigation involved transferring jurisdiction from the Jefferson city limits where the body was initially found to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, highlighting the procedural interplay between local law enforcement agencies.
Inquiries into the cause of the crash are still active and the GBI is urging anyone with information to step forward. The agency offers several channels for tips, including phoning their Regional Investigative Office in Athens at 706-552-2309. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at the GBI website, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
