A young Eatonton man lost his life Sunday morning in a two-vehicle crash.
Rhi’Miair Johnson, 18, of Sunnyland Drive, Eatonton, died instantly in the collision, said Putnam County Coroner Hollis Harrison.
Around 10:40 a.m., Johnson was driving northbound on Gray Highway when his 2007 Nissan Altima crossed over the center line into oncoming traffic.
“Evidence at the scene and those who witnessed the accident told us he crossed over the line, but we don’t know why,” Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said. “We all drift over it from time to time when we’re driving; it happens to all of us. Unfortunately, we’ll never know why.”
The front driver’s side of Johnson’s car crashed into the front driver’s side of a southbound 2022 Tiffin Luxury RV being driven by a 72-year-old Florida man. The motorhome rolled over the Altima and tore the roof off of the car.
Sills said Johnson had recently purchased the Altima.
“It still had the drive-out tag on it, so he had just bought it and hadn’t had time for the tag to come in from the state,” Sills noted.
Johnson just graduated from Putnam County High School in May, was on the school’s wrestling and football teams, and was said to be working at Walmart. His unexpected death seemed to hit hard teachers and friends who shared the news on social media.
“Today we lost one of the inaugural wrestlers in our program,” the Putnam County War Eagles wrestling team posted. “Please take a moment to cherish your friends and family as we mourn the loss of our Big Rome.”
Commenters’ posts seemed to testify to Johnson's personality, including that he was “well-mannered, respectful, fine young man, kind and smart, and a sweet soul.”
Arrangements were unknown at the newspaper’s press time.