Local & State Headlines

80-year-old man dies in traffic accident

• An elderly man dies after pulling into oncoming traffic in south Dougherty County Tuesday afternoon.

Joshua Brown

ALBANY — An 80-year-old Mitchell County man died in Dougherty County Tuesday afternoon after pulling into the path of a transit bus, police said.

Jimmie Smith of Camilla, died about 1:30 p.m. after he pulled from Nelms Road onto U.S. Highway 19 into the path of an Early County transit bus, Dougherty County Police Lt. M.J. Wood said at the scene.

The driver of the transit bus, Sharon Bays, was injured and taken to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. She was in good condition Tuesday evening, hospital spokesperson Valerie Benton said.

Only one passenger, a 16-year-old boy, was in the bus at the time of the accident, though he was not injured, DCP Assistant Chief Cynthia Battle said.

Traffic was backed up for about an hour after the accident as police and road crews cleaned up the scene.

Because of the position of Smith’s vehicle when the accident occurred, police said he likely failed to yield the right of way. Witnesses at the scene said it appeared Smith did not stop at a stop sign completely before pulling into traffic again, Wood said.

His vehicle, a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, was mangled by the accident. The driver’s side door, the primary area of impact, was crumpled by the force of the impact and the car’s frame was visible beneath it. The rear left tire was shredded and the car leaked fluids onto the median, where it finally came to rest.

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