The Georgia State Patrol Public Information Office has provided further details regarding a devastating accident last Friday, that resulted in the death of a 28-year-old man from Summerville.

The incident occurred around 6:50 PM on Georgia Highway 114, near Bargain Lane, and involved multiple vehicles. Initial reports indicate that a red Chevrolet S-10 truck broke down in both southbound lanes of the highway, prompting a series of unfortunate events. A grey Nissan Sentra, driven by a cautious motorist, was traveling south in the left lane when the driver spotted the disabled truck. In an effort to avoid a collision, the driver stopped in the left lane. However, this sudden stop led to a chain reaction when a silver Toyota Corolla, following too closely behind the Nissan, struck the rear of the Sentra.

The driver of the Corolla, Travis Bailey, 28, exited his vehicle to speak with witnesses about the accident. As these witnesses attempted to signal an approaching blue Jeep Compass, which was also traveling south in the left lane, the situation escalated. Despite their efforts, the Jeep struck the Toyota and Bailey, who was standing near his vehicle. The force of the collision caused the Toyota to rotate into the northbound lanes, where it collided with a red Chevrolet Silverado driven by 58-year-old James Lewis, also from Summerville.

Tragically, Bailey succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

In a subsequent search of the Jeep, authorities discovered drug paraphernalia and several prescription medications inside. The driver of the Jeep, Deta Ratledge, 61, from Lafayette, GA, was found to be impaired and consented to a blood draw for testing.

The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) has arrived at the scene and will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. Ratledge is expected to face charges of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and Following Too Closely