When most people are traveling on a dirt road, they’re probably not thinking about the possibility of a serious traffic accident. But crashes can happen on dirt roads and they can be severe.
Such was the case on Friday, May 23, 2025, when two vehicles collided at the intersection of Bud Hutcheson Road and Woodpecker Trail. Around 6:30 p.m., the accident call came in. When first responders arrived, they found a chaotic scene. There were two significantly damaged vehicles, at least one seriously injured passenger, and a juvenile driver facing charges.
According to an accident report from the Georgia State Patrol, vehicle one, a 2017 Dodge Challenger, was traveling east on Woodpecker Trail. Vehicle two, a 2021 GMC Yukon, was traveling south on Bud Hutcheson Road. According to the report, vehicle one ran the stop sign at the intersection and hit the Yukon.
Four people were in the Challenger; all were juveniles. A male was in the driver’s seat with a female sitting in his lap holding the steering wheel. Another male was in the passenger’s seat with a second female sitting in his lap. None were wearing seatbelts. A female juvenile was driving the Yukon but her mother was in the vehicle with her.
The report says that the male in the driver’s seat stated, “I did not have nothing to do with the gas or steering wheel. If I had the gas, I promise you I would have braked.” The report quotes the female sitting in his lap as saying, “He was pressing the gas and I was kind of driving with my hands as well.” One of the occupants also said, “I didn’t see the stop sign. I don’t think anybody did.”
Both occupants of the Yukon said that the Challenger ran the stop sign, according to the report.
The female in the passenger’s seat of the Challenger was seriously injured and transported to a trauma center via Air Evac. She is currently recovering from her injuries. The male in the driver’s seat was arrested and later released.