A late-afternoon crash at a rural Newton County intersection left two teenagers with serious injuries on April 10 after a dump truck hit a Chevrolet Traverse at State Route 36 and Lackey Road, according to troopers. The collision happened around 3:56 p.m. and pushed both vehicles off the roadway. The Traverse’s 18-year-old driver was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, while a 13-year-old passenger was transported to Arthur M. Blank Hospital. The dump truck driver had minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
Troopers’ Early Account
According to The Covington News, which cites a preliminary Georgia State Patrol report, the intersection is controlled by stop signs only for traffic on Lackey Road. Troopers say the Traverse failed to yield at the stop sign and entered State Route 36 as the dump truck was traveling south, leading to the crash. The outlet also confirms that the teen driver was taken to Grady Memorial and the younger passenger to Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
Scene Response And Roadway Layout
WSB-TV reports that the Newton County Sheriff’s Office called in the Georgia State Patrol to assist at the scene. Troopers said the force of the impact sent both vehicles off the road, where they ended up on the western shoulder of the highway. It was the kind of violent intersection crash that tends to quiet a normally routine weekday afternoon.
Investigation Still Open
Georgia State Patrol troopers remain on the case, and officials have not released the names of anyone involved or said whether any charges might be filed, according to WSB-TV. Investigators also said the dump truck driver was not taken for treatment and that GSP is assisting with Newton County’s probe. For now, agencies say the investigation is ongoing and have not given a timeline for when more details will be released.
