Friday afternoon, troopers from the Georgia State Patrol investigated a four-vehicle hit-and-run accident on the Willacoochee Highway. A school bus was involved in the accident but was not struck by the other vehicles. There were no injuries reported.
According to the accident report from the Georgia State Patrol, the school bus, which was driven by Sarah Dezarae Taylor, was stopped facing north on Highway 135 unloading children in front of 1483 Willacoochee Highway. Vehicle three, a 2018 Ram 3500 pulling a trailer driven by Servando Plascencia of Pearson, was traveling north on Highway 135 behind vehicle one, a 2018 Ford F-350 dually pulling a trailer hauling a John Deere tractor and being driven by Joseph Cletus Nolan, 71, of Pearson. Vehicle two, a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe being driven by Amber Renee Swanson of Douglas, was traveling south on 135.
The report says that the F-350 began to pass in a no-passing zone. The Tahoe swerved on to the west shoulder in an attempt to avoid a collision with the F-350. The F-350’s trailer struck the Tahoe. The Ford continued north, passing the school bus and leaving the scene, the report states. After impact, the Tahoe began rotating counter-clockwise and hit the Ram as well as the trailer the Ram was towing.
Swanson stated that the bus, which appeared to have just dropped off children, didn’t have its red flashing lights or stop sign activated. Plascencia stated that he had been behind the Ford since the Atkinson County line and the taillights on the trailer didn’t work. The Ford then began to pass slow moving traffic and ran Swanson’s vehicle off the road.
Taylor stated that she was stopped and letting children off the bus when the accident happened. She said that her lights were activated. However, citing video evidence, the report states that the lights and sign were not activated when kids were getting off the bus.
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., deputies contacted the investigating trooper that Nolan had been located. The trooper went to the location and spoke with Nolan, who, according to the report, said that he didn’t know he hit another vehicle in the accident. Nolan stated that he looked off the roadway and when he looked back, traffic was stopping. He added that the bus did not have its lights on, according to the report. Nolan was unable to stop in time, he said, so he swerved into the southbound lane. Nolan said he thought just his mirror was knocked off in the accident. However, the F-350 suffered a blown tire that had been changed before the trooper arrived, the report says. Nolan added that he didn’t have anywhere to pull off the road after he swerved so he kept going.
Nolan was cited for hit and run, following too closely, and distracted driving. He was issued citations but was not booked into the Coffee County Jail. Taylor was cited for not activating the bus’s lights/stop sign and not wearing a seatbelt.
