Distracted driver slams into back of U.S. Army Humvee on Ga. 247

A distracted driver Tuesday morning slammed into the back of a U.S. Army Humvee northbound on Ga. 247, which resulted in a ripple effect in a transport convoy waiting to turn into the U.S. National Guard gate at Robins Air Force Base.

The crash involved a Dodge pickup and three Humvees and sent the pickup driver and three soldiers to local hospitals to be checked out for minor injuries, said Georgia State Patrol Trooper 1st Class Joe Garietz.

The crash also closed down the northbound lanes of Ga. 247 near Ignico Drive for about an hour, Garietz said.

The pickup driver, whose name was not immediately available, was cited for distracted driving.

The GSP was dispatched at 11:10 a.m., but the crash was probably reported a few minutes earlier to Houston County 911, he said. Houston County sheriff's deputies helped direct traffic around the crash.

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559, or find her Twitter@becpurser.