Charges Filed in Fatal Franklin County Crash

A Franklin Springs man has been charged with multiple offenses after his involvement in a head-on collision that led to two deaths. According to the IndependentMail, 43-year-old James Thomas Dickson has been charged with two counts of felony first degree homicide by vehicle, one count of driving under the influence (DUI), one count of serious injury by vehicle, one count of unlawful possession/purchase of a controlled substance, and one count of driving on the wrong side of the road. The accident near Canon could send Dickson to jail for up to fifteen years.

Dickson was driving north on Ga. Highway 17 when he crossed the center line and struck a pickup truck towing a trailer and hit another truck trying to avoid the collision. 41-year-old Joey Hart, son of Lavonia Home Center owner Billy Hart, was killed at the scene. In addition, 77-year-old Bobby William Bland, of Reidsville, passed away at the hospital. The driver of the first truck hit, Julia Sikes Powell, was taken to the hospital. Dickson was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina and is in good condition. He will be taken into custody after he is released from the hospital.

Drunk driving is a serious problem in Georgia and the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,228 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2010, accounting for 31% of overall fatalities. In 2009, there were 394 alcohol-related fatalities on Georgia roads.

If you or a loved one is involved in a car crash, it is important to act quickly to determine fault in the accident. If injuries sustained in an accident are the fault of another individual’s actions or negligence, such as driving drunk, you may be entitled to seek legal recourse through a personal injury lawsuit. Contact an experienced car accident lawyer to see if you might be eligible to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.