My condolences to his family.
CAMAK, Ga. –- A fiery crash claimed the life of a 51-year-old Augusta man early this morning on Interstate 20 in Warren County, authorities say.
Deputy Coroner Sandy Yelton identified the victim as Gerry Streetman, of the 2500 block of Sheraton Drive. An autopsy will be performed Tuesday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Augusta to establish the exact cause of his death, Mrs. Yelton said.
She said Mr. Streetman was pronounced dead at 3:05 a.m.
He is believed to have died from blunt-force trauma, Mrs. Yelton said.
Trooper First Class Mike Callaway of the Georgia State Patrol post in Thomson said the crash also injured an Augusta man. James Ramsey, 55, of the 2400 block of Golden Camp Road, was taken by ambulance to Medical College of Georgia Hospital in Augusta.
Mr. Ramsey, who received only slight injuries, was returning to Augusta from the airport in Atlanta when his taxi van was rear-ended by the tractor-trailer driven by Mr. Streetman, Trooper Callaway said. The accident occurred shortly before 2:30 a.m. near mile marker 164 in the eastbound lanes.
After the impact in the right-hand lane, both vehicles veered off the road into the woods, where the van overturned. The big rig, slammed into trees and burst into flames.
It was the sixth fatality to have occurred on I-20 in Warren County within less than a month.
Comments
My condolences to his family.
He was a friend of an acquaintance of mine(who used to be a neighbor of mine) who thought highly of him. I didn't know him but I do know his extended family, and they are good people from Keysville and Augusta. I am sorry to hear this happened to him and my prayers are with his friends and family.
I beileve you mean 2:30 AM.
Streetman and Ramsey lived within a mile of each other. They are BOTH Augustans, in case the wording of the story leads you to believe otherwise. Any chance they were trying to escort each other back to Augusta to help fight fatigue, a convoy of two?
Condolences. It was 2:30 am.
When will the GA DOT fix this problem? There are too many deaths along that stretch of I-20. They need to add some lights, or build a rest area at some point.
Gothamist, it is not the DOT's responsibility to judge when someone should drive. That rsponsibility is the drivers'. With all due respect to both, it they were fatigued, they should pull over. As for rest areas, they were not too far from the one between Thomson and Augusta. RIP Mr. Streetman.
The rear ending makes it sound like Mr. Streetman may have fallen asleep at the wheel. At 2:30 am.
I used to make the trip to Atlanta and back everyday for work. The highway does not drain. I would thing due to construction errors. Even as the new section was being completed from Thomson to Augusta, the sections of pavement were already undermined by water that forced red mud through the joints. And people drive too fast for conditions.
There are two rest areas between AGS and ATL. Plus dozens of exits with facilities.
I would love to know how many accidents have happened in the general area over the past 20 years. The DOT put up fencing in the median after those three college boys were killed in July, 2005 but it still seems to be a bad area.
Wow! My thoughts and prayers go out to the families. The article mentions this is the sixth fatality within a month. Do I remember correctly-didn't most of those fatalities have some type connection to the CSRA?
This is a very tragic accident. I pray that Mr. Ramsey has a speedy recovery. I also pray that God holds and comforts Mrs. Streetman and her family during this difficult time.
The rear ending could also mean that the taxi driver could have possible changed lanes in front of the truck, cut it to close and the truck did not have enough time to stop. The article needs more details as to exactlly how it occured. Unfortunately the truck driver is not alive to tell his side. Prayers go out to them all.
i was traveling from atl to aug yesterday between 3pm and 6pm. there were three accidents due to weather and speed on the highway. the construction work had no part in it. it is these careless drivers who don't put there lights on during inclement weather and drive as if the road are dry as the sahara. drivers need to be responsible for their actions and slow down when the weather changes. it's as simple as that. get rest when you know you have a long trip. be mindful of others on the road. god help us all. this is too many senseless deaths.
The rear ending could also mean,the truck driver was asleep,or have had a MI or CVA before impact.What different does it make it if was 2:30AM or 230am?
Personally, I could care less who or why they rear ended. People need to pay attention to the road, drive slower when conditions are not the best, and be rested as much as possible.
Prayers going out to both families.
It could have been anything caused the accident. If I was guessing, I would say the taxi didn't have any lights on the rear (bad fuse maybe) and the semi saw him too late. But the troopers will figure it out I am sure. I have passed the airport taxi many times and they always appear to keep their focus on their driving. A real shame the were both so close to home.
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This accident and needless lose of life is an example of how dangerous driving at night can be. Both drivers sounded like they were professional drivers; so, I am sure the cause of the accident will be a warning to all drivers, civilians and professionals. I will pray for both families and may God help them through this terrible time.
Offering words of comfort to ALL involved.
It is my prayer that God will take care of you all.
I was lucky enough and proud to know Gerry Streetman. He was a good christian man that always had a smile on his face and never a bad thing to say about anyone. He had been with his employer for 15 years(which is very rare in trucking industry). Two weeks ago, he was awarded with his 1,000,000(yes, million) mile award for safe driver.(meaning no accidents). Our prayers go out to his family and friends and hope that something good can come out ot this unfortunate incident. God bless you, Gerry.
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