Driver faces charge after his truck tire kills Houston County woman out walking her dog
A Houston County woman out walking her dog is dead after a tire flew of a pickup truck and struck her in the head and neck Sunday night.
Kimberly Touchton, 22, was pronounced dead at the Houston Medical Center after she was found face down about 10 to 15 feet off the roadway near Georgia State Route 49 and Highway 11, said Houston County Sheriff’s Lt. Kent Bankston.
Brian Seth Carmichael, the pickup driver, was charged with leaving the scene of the accident without reporting a death or injury, a misdemeanor, Bankston said.
Carmichael is free on a $2,600 bond after turning himself in Monday night.
“In my 34 years I’ve been doing this, this is the No. 1 freak accident I’ve ever seen,” Bankston said. “.. What are the chances of a wheel flying off a car and striking and killing a young woman out walking her dog?”
Here’s how the incident unfolded, according to Bankston.
Touchton left her mobile home about 9 p.m. Sunday to walk her dog. She’s usually gone about 10 to 15 minutes.
When she didn’t return, her fiance started looking for her.
The dog returned to Touchton’s mobile home while her fiance was searching for her.
About 10 p.m., 911 got the call of Touchton’s discovery,and she was taken to the hospital.
Sheriff’s investigators found an abandoned Dodge pickup about a quarter mile down the road near the Bibb County line with its right front wheel missing.
The pickup was crossing a bridge when the tire flew off the pickup at a speed of 55 miles per hour and traveled 300 to 400 yards before striking Touchton. The trailer park is located in a deep ravine.
Investigators also determined Carmichael called someone to pick him up, and may have known the tire struck the woman, Bankston said.
A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was allowed to turn himself in.
The accident remains under investigation, and an autopsy is pending.
Carmichael could not be reached for comment.
This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 9:24 AM.