Tragedy struck again on Putnam County roads when a local elderly couple died in a vehicle crash on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 22, around 2:30 p.m.
James Abbott, 83, and Sara Abbott, 81, of Bear Creek Road in Putnam County, succumbed to their injuries sustained when they crashed into a pickup truck, said Putnam County Sheriff’s Chief of Staff Russell Blenk.
The pickup, a 2021 Ford F-150 owned by Georgia Power, was driven by Matthew Crumbley, 26, of McDonough. Crumbley was taken by ambulance to a Macon hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.
The Abbotts were traveling eastbound on State Route 16/Sparta Highway with Sara Abbott driving their 2018 Ford Flex. As they approached the intersection of Pea Ridge Road and Hwy. 16, Crumbley was northbound and turned left onto Pea Ridge in front of the Abbotts.
The front of the Flex crashed into the passenger side front of Crumbley’s F-150. James Abbott died instantly, according to Putnam County Coroner Hollis Harrison.
A medical helicopter was called for Sara Abbott, but she died in the ambulance en route to the helicopter landing zone, Blenk said.
Harrison said the preliminary cause of death for both victims is blunt force trauma, but autopsies are being done on both by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner.
Blenk said he talked to Crumbley by phone and told him that when he is released from the hospital, he will be charged with failure to yield while making a left turn, and two counts of misdemeanor vehicular homicide.