BOWERSVILLE MOTORCYCLIST SERIOUSLY INJURED IN CRASH ON SR77/HARTWELL RD IN LAVONIA

The sun may have played a role in a bad accident on SR77/Hartwell Road in Lavonia Monday morning, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

According to GSP Hartwell Post Commander Camran Fleming, it happened near Lavonia Elementary School.

“A Lavonia Police Officer’s SUV was stopped in the road near the school when his SUV was rear-ended. Behind the police SUV was a motorcycle and a Ford Fusion. The driver of the Fusion failed to stop, hitting the motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle was ejected and the Fusion continued to push the motorcycle into the rear left side of the police SUV before coming to a stop,” he said.

The driver of the motorcycle was taken to St. Mary’s Sacred Heart by EMS and then airlifted to Greenville with serious injuries. He is identified as 21-year-old Clinton Jester of Bowersville.

Fleming said the driver of the Ford Fusion, identified as 28-year-old Benjamin Clay of Lavonia, told troopers he was blinded by the sunrise.

The officer, 34-year-old Jonathan Merck, was inside the SUV when it was rear-ended. Lavonia Police Chief Shane Edmisten said he was not injured.

“The Officer is fine. He was more concerned about the motorcyclist. He did have an EMS bag in his patrol vehicle and he was able to get the bag out of the vehicle and render aid to the motorcyclist until EMS arrived,” he said. “It was interesting that he couldn’t open the door to his patrol vehicle but he was able to bust the back window out of the patrol vehicle to get the emergency pack out of the vehicle and render first aid.”

GSP’s Specialized Collision and Reconstruction Team (SCRT) investigators were on the scene Monday morning.

Charges are pending against the Clay, according to Commander Fleming.