Authorities are continuing to investigate a series of fatal wrecks that took place over the weekend.
The three accidents each claimed one life, with the most recent taking place Sunday afternoon. Along with an accident last Tuesday that ultimately led to the deaths of a brother and sister, five people died in Effingham accidents over the last week.
“It was just a tragic week in Effingham,” said Effingham County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Detective David Ehsanipoor.
Shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a crash with injuries at Highway 80 and Old River Road. Initial reports indicated that a Chevrolet Silverado was turning onto 80 from Old River Road and struck a Honda Accord, headed east on 80, head-on.
A passenger in the Honda, Jerry Jarrell, 58, of Eden, was airlifted to Memorial University Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The driver of the vehicle struck, a pregnant woman, was taken to Memorial with serious injuries.
The accident remains under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.
On Saturday afternoon around 3:30, a one-vehicle wreck on Old Louisville Road near Riverside Drive resulted in the death of Frank Stacy, 21, of Morehead, Ky. Stacy was identified as the driver of a Ford pickup and he lost control of the vehicle. The truck flipped into a ditch.
Stacy was pronounced dead at the scene, and another person in the truck received injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
An accident earlier Saturday afternoon resulted in the death of an active-duty soldier. Deputies responded to the Big Nasty ATV Park around 1:30 p.m. and found a man unconscious from injuries in a dirt bike crash.
Michael Lee Myers, 33, of Mosheim, Tenn., was taken to Memorial in Savannah, where he later died.
“There is no indication any other vehicles or ATVs were involved,” said Ehsanipoor, “but the investigation is ongoing by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.”
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Monday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Savannah.
Ehsanipoor said authorities believe the spate of fatal accidents to be coincidental.
“The past couple of years, our number of serious injuries and fatalities has been going down,” he said.
Ehsanipoor also said the sheriff’s office urges motorists to follow proper driving procedures.
“There are a lot of people out and about because of the nice weather, and we want people to be careful,” he said. “We ask them to just be mindful of slowing down and not using their cell phones or texting while driving.”
He also said the ECSO’s traffic enforcement unit will be on the roads looking for aggressive drivers and speeders.
