Thursday Tractor & Tractor-Trailer Crash Sends Woman to Hospital

A crash involving an 18-wheeler and a tractor late last week sends a Dewy Rose woman to the hospital.  According to a report from the Georgia State Patrol Hartwell Post 52, the accident occurred on Thursday afternoon around 4:20 at 2803 Georgia Highway 77 just inside Elbert County.  According to the report, a John Deere 4520 farm tractor was traveling northbound on the highway.  As the tractor attempted to make a left turn onto a private drive at that address, a 2016 Kenworth T680 tractor trailer attempted to pass the John Deere on a double-yellow centerline.  The front of the rig struck the left side of the tractor.  After impact, the force from the truck caused the John Deere to split in two coming to an uncontrolled rest off of the west shoulder of Highway 77. 

The driver on the tractor, identified as 66-year-old Elizabeth Peters of Dewy Rose, sustained what appeared to be serious injuries.  She was flown by helicopter to Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina.  Her condition is not known at this time.  The driver of the 18-wheeler, identified as 60-year-old Michael Lee Firebaugh of Spartanburg, South Carolina, was not injured.  The Georgia State Patrol Troop B Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT team) is investigating the matter.  Charges are pending until the crash investigation has been concluded.