Three people were injured in a grinding four-vehicle collision in the construction zone on U.S. Highway 84 at Owens Crossing last week.
Larry L. Wells, 51, of Waycross, Linda Johnson Schenck, 73, of Patterson and Kenneth Gerald Altman, 63, of Waycross, were all taken by Pierce Emergency Medical Service to Memorial Satilla Health following the 11:46 a.m. crash.
A fourth driver involved in the accident, David Gary Ganey, 64, of Blackshear, was not injured in the wreck.
According to a report by the Georgia State Patrol, Wells was driving a 2016 International box truck east on U.S. Highway 84. Schenck, driving a 2013 Ford Escape, was also headed east, but had stopped to make a left turn on to New School Road at Owens Crossing. Wells failed to stop and rear ended Schenck, causing a chain reaction that involved Altman and Ganey who were headed west in the opposite lane. The Schenck vehicle then struck Altman’s 2024 Chevy Silverado causing it to overturn and also struck the 2025 Pierce County Mack granite dump truck driven by Ganey. Schenck’s vehicle ended up traveling over 173 feet before coming to rest in the northbound ditch.
The accident occurred in the construction zone which ironically, is building a new turning lane for the intersection. The construction project has been underway since the summer and is being funded by the Transportation Investment Act (TIA).
The four lane was shut down for almost two hours following the wreck for rescue efforts and for the accident investigation.
Master Trooper Gentry Mattox of the Georgia State Patrol investigated the accident.
