# Ga. Deputy Sheriff killed in off-duty automobile accident



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

By Domonique Benn 



The driver of a logging truck says it wasn’t anything he could do to prevent a fatal accident involving a Richmond County deputy on his way home from work. It happened on River Road, also known as the Highway 56 spur. The area is known for heavy logging traffic. And as News 12 takes that some route with a truck driver, we’re on your side when it comes to driving on the same road with big trucks. 

"I done seen the worse and I done seen the safe ones," said George Washington, truck driver. George Washington has been driving trucks for nearly 40 years. 

We get a view of a trucker’s life: "This is River Road we’re on River Road right here," Washington said. Washington says River Road has heavy logging traffic. "He fully loaded," Washington said. And when you’re fully loaded, the longer your trailer is the more room truckers need. "He gone pull almost in the center of the highway before he turns," Washington said. 

And Marshall Jordan says that is exactly what he was doing, swinging his rig out far just to get it into his driveway. He just finished dropping a load off at the mill. "When I was coming in I looked up the road and there wasn’t anything coming. I swung out around the edge of the pavement to come in my driveway and once I get to the edge of the road, bam," Jordan said. 

31-year-old Richmond County Deputy Shane Hamilton was killed when his car ended up under the trailer of the truck. He was on his way home from work. 

"I saw oh, Lord it done happened here," Jordan said. "Wasn’t anything I could do because it happened so quickly I didn’t even see no car coming." George says he has had so many close calls. "Slow down, give truck respect, cause you can’t win, you cannot win with a truck," Washington said. And while the cause is still unclear, it’s a wake up call for all. The autopsy results are not back on Deputy Hamilton. Another truck collided after the initial wreck. That person was not hurt. State patrol says they are still investigating and haven’t issued any citations at this time.


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