Georgia patrol IDs Macon man killed in crash with school bus carrying students

A Macon man was killed Friday in a three-vehicle crash involving a Crisp County school bus carrying students.

He was identified as Joel Hodges, 28, of Macon, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

Cameron Courson, 19, of Hawkinsville, a passenger in Hodges’ 2002 GMC Sierra pickup, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Crisp Regional Hospital.

Some of the 12 students on the bus suffered only bumps and bruises, the GSP said. The driver of the bus and of a 2004 Ford Taurus were not injured.

The crash happened about 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Greer Street and 24th Avenue in Cordele.

Hodges was driving south on Greer Street when he failed to yield after stopping at a stop sign and his pickup crossed into the path of the west-bound school bus on 24th Avenue, according to the GSP.

The bus struck the driver’s side of the pickup, pushing it about 42 feet before the pickup struck the car that was eastbound on 24th Avenue. The passenger side of the pickup struck the driver side of the car, the GSP said.

This story was originally published March 26, 2019 at 3:30 PM.