One person is deceased following a Sunday morning crash with a tractor-trailer on Highway 32 West. Involved were a Chevrolet Tahoe and a 2022 Freightliner owned and operated by Walmart.
The accident happened around 2 a.m. Sunday in the area where Golden Pond Road and Oliver Vickers Road intersect with Highway 32 near Ambrose. Coffee 911 began receiving calls describing a Tahoe traveling west on Highway 32 that was driving erratically. Deputies were en route to stop the vehicle when 911 received another call, this time from the driver of the Walmart truck stating he had collided with the Tahoe.
The Tahoe had been traveling west in the eastbound lane. The truck driver took evasive action in an attempt to avoid a collision. The truck left the roadway but still hit the Tahoe. The impact ejected the driver of the Tahoe. The Freightliner continued into the ditch until ultimately coming to a stop.
The truck driver suffered only minor cuts and was, for the most part, uninjured in the accident. The driver of the Tahoe, identified as Antonio Islas Rodriguez, survived the initial impact but was later pronounced deceased at Coffee Regional Medical Center. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the accident.
Highway 32 was shut down for several hours Sunday morning while emergency workers cleaned up and investigated the accident.