An Eatonton woman was killed early Saturday, Nov. 15, in a UTV accident, according to authorities.
Amanda Swearingen, 43, died when the Polaris UTV she was driving went off the road and overturned, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said.
Friends and family commented on social media about the tragic loss, many saying what a kind person Amanda was to know and work with.
“She was my cousin and one of the sweetest ones I knew,” commented Brandon Norris. “If you ever needed anything, she would give you the shirt off her back.”
Swearingen was traveling on the 300 block of Rockville Road near the intersection of Oconee Springs Road when the wreck happened just before 1 a.m.
Two other women — Alejandra Caress, 39, of Grovetown, and Abigail Olivencia, 31, of Winterhaven, Florida — were riding in the UTV with Swearingen, according to Sills. Caress was seriously injured and flown by medical helicopter to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, Sills said. Olivencia was wearing a seatbelt and wasn’t injured.
The accident is still under investigation, but there were no indications that alcohol was involved, Sills said. Deputies Mark Adams and Angela Jordan responded to the scene, along with Putnam County EMTs and Putnam County Fire Department First Responders.
Deputy Coroner Andre Williams said Swearingen was thrown out of the UTV when it overturned, and an autopsy revealed she died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries.
Family and friends continue to grieve her loss, and the funeral will be Saturday morning.
“Amanda was the most genuinely nice person I have ever had the pleasure to work with and be around,” Brandi Lyles commented on the Facebook notice of the accident. “Her smile was one of those that made you feel seen and left you feeling happy. She showed everyone she encountered the same kindness and love, whether she had known them for years or had just met them. She was one of the few angels on earth.”
Swearingen found her greatest peace on the lake with her husband, family, and their dogs, according to her obituary. She is survived by her husband, Chuck; daughters, Harley and Logan; parents, Merrill and Margie Pierson of Culloden; and numerous other family members.
Monroe County Memorial Chapel in Forsyth has charge of arrangements.