Trucker working on disabled vehicle dies in multivehicle crash on I-475

A South Carolina truck driver is dead after a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 475 North.

At about 10:20 a.m., the man’s truck had some sort of mechanical problem and he got out to work on it, Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said.

“Then all hell broke loose,” Jones said.

A Honda Accord driven by Rikki Sharp, 38, of Kathleen, crashed into the side of the disabled truck, which was in the middle lane of three lanes about 1.5 miles north of the Thomaston Road, Ga. 74 exit at Mercer University Drive.

Another tractor trailer and a pickup were involved in the crash just south of the rest stop south of Zebulon Road.

Brandon Hankinson, 20, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado and pulled in front of the broken down truck.

Hankinson parked and got out to help the stranded truck driver when a second tractor trailer driven by Lawrence Gross, 37, of Florida, hit the semi and Hankinson’s pickup.

The driver of the disabled vehicle, George Earl James, 61, of Florence, South Carolina, died next to his truck. Gross and Sharp were taken to Medical Center, Navicent Health, in stable condition.

Hankinson was treated at the scene and released.

Bibb County sheriff’s deputies are asking people to stay off 475 North and exit at the Eisenhower Parkway off-ramp until the crash can be cleared.

Traffic backed up 1.5 miles to the Ga. 74 exit where all vehicles are exiting the highway.

Motorists traveling southbound also had to hit the brakes as vehicles slowed passing the crash.

The road was closed for hours as the Bibb County sheriff’s fatality investigator gathered evidence at the scene.

This story was originally published December 6, 2018 at 10:46 AM.