About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2020)
4A Midweek Edition-November 25-26, 2020 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com LOCAL Authorities identify man seriously injured in tractor-trailer wreck Photo courtesy of Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services A Gainesville man was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital on Monday after a crash in Dawsonville involving his vehicle, as well as two tractor trailers. BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Police have identified the Gaines ville man flown to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta after a Monday tractor-trailer wreck in Dawsonville. Shawn Medick, 46, was seriously injured in the three-vehicle wreck, which involved two tractor-trailers, authorities said. According to Georgia State Patrol Cpl. Travis S. Sanders, the crash hap pened around 11 a.m. Monday when two tractor-trailers collided on the state highway near Amicalola Forest Drive, after one of the tractor-trailers began to overturn while rounding a curve in the roadway. A Toyota RAV 4, driven by Medick, heading west on Hwy. 53 was struck by one of the tractor-trailers, seri ously injuring and entrapping Medick, authorities said. Medick was transported to Grady Hospital by Air Life Georgia, according to Dawson County Fire Chief and EMA Director Danny Thompson, but his con dition is unknown at this time. No other injuries were reported dur ing the incident, Thompson said. Sanders said that the GSP Motor Car rier Compliance Division responded to the incident, but that the GSP Spe cialized Crash Reconstruction Team will conduct its own independent investigation. “At this time there is no evidence of drugs or alcohol being a factor in the crash,” Sanders said. Hwy. 53 remained closed throughout Monday afternoon so that the wreck could be investigated and cleared, but the area has since been reopened. Dawson News editor Alex Popp contributed to this report. Oakwood Police looking into restaurant burglary BY NICK WATSON nwatson @gainesvilletimes.com Police are asking for help identifying a man seen on surveillance images in connection to a Sunday, Nov. 22, burglary at an Oakwood restaurant. Oakwood Police released images showing a man at Loretta’s Coun try Kitchen on Mundy Mill Road. Police said the man was seen walking from the business toward Summer- wind Way early Sunday morning. Anyone with infor mation can remain anonymous and call the police department at 770-534-2364. Image courtesy Oakwood Police Oakwood Police say this man is wanted for questioning in connection to a burglary at Loretta’s restaurant in the city. Cops focus on seatbelt usage, traffic laws around holiday BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Even with fewer people expected on Geor gia roadways, law enforcement said it will be focusing on drivers being buckled and safe during the Thanksgiving holiday travel days. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said officers will be focusing on seatbelt usage, distracted driving, speeding and impaired drivers during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which started on Nov. 16 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 29. “We’re seeing, compared to this time last year, an increase in traffic fatalities on our roads overall even though the volume of traffic has dropped about on average 10-15%,” high way safety spokesman Robert Hydrick said. According to the highway safety office, there were 12 people killed in Georgia wrecks from Nov. 27-30 of last year. AAA is expecting 47.8 million car travel ers this Thanksgiving holiday, which is 2.1 million fewer than 2019. The group is also expecting 2.18 million fewer airplane pas sengers this holiday period. “Based on mid-October forecast models, AAA would have expected up to 50 million Americans to travel for Thanksgiving — a drop from 55 million in 2019,” according to a AAA article earlier this month. “However, as the holiday approaches and Americans moni tor the public health landscape, including ris ing COVID-19 positive case numbers, renewed quarantine restrictions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel health notices, AAA expects the actual num ber of holiday travelers will be even lower.” The highway safety office is asking for drivers to use a designated driver or use some sort of rideshare/taxi. The office also wanted people to stay off phones, ensure everyone in the car is buckled and avoid speeding by allo cating more time for the journey. “Even though the pandemic is expected to reduce the number of people traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we all need to practice safety first by mak ing sure everyone in our vehicles, especially small children, are properly retrained by a seatbelt or child safety seat,” the highway safety office’s director Allen Poole said in a statement. “We hope no one is ever involved in a traffic crash, but a seat belt offers you and everyone in your vehicle the best pro tection in the event you are in a crash.” Send a box full of Winter Sunshine 3 unique varieties + FREE Shipping!' These healthy, hand-picked, snack size fruit are specially nurtured and treasured for their ultra-sweet flavor. These will delight everyone on your list and for a very special price. • 6 Rio Ruby " Red Gems • 8 Tiny Tim Navels • 4 Mini Fuji Apples i-833 : 47(j-i9i2 Visit PittmanDavis.com/MN232 Order Item #MXSP, mention Code PNVH-N232 and Save 33% Only $19.99 (reg. $29.99), plus FREE Shipping." Satisfaction completely guaranteed. Order by December 17, 2020 for GUARANTEED Christmas delivery. o/lrrw/unm 06 Call Now or go Online and SAVE 33% with FREE Shipping IC: PNVH-N232 Vttman & Davis, rlin gen, TX 78552 ' Free standard shipping to the 48 contiguc Important safety information from Atlanta Gas Light Every day, underground pipelines safely transport natural gas to homes and businesses throughout the country. Atlanta Gas Light operates, secures and maintains the pipelines in our service territories. Call before you dig Before digging on your property, state law requires you call 811 to have your utility lines professionally marked - for free! You must wait the required amount of time before you begin your project. Pipeline markers indicate the general area of the pipeline, but not its exact location or depth. A pipeline may not always be marked in all areas, so it is important to always "Call Before You Dig." If a pipeline right of way is adjacent to your property, you have a responsibility to ensure no new installations of landscaping or physical structures are placed in the right of way, which interferes with our ability to keep the pipeline safe through routine monitoring and maintenance. Information about transmission pipelines operating in your community can be accessed online at https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov, courtesy of the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). Water heater safety The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges all users to lower their water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Carbon monoxide Incomplete combustion of any fuel produces carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is poisonous and has no odor, taste or color. Carbon monoxide detectors are helpful, but they are no substitute for using equipment safely. This includes having your appliances inspected once a year by a certified contractor. Appliance safety According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency: • It is important that you have your furnace inspected by a qualified specialist. • Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shut-offs are in proper working condition. • Keep trash and other combustible materials away from your air, heating and water heating systems. Pipeline integrity management is a process for assessing and mitigating pipeline risks to reduce both the likelihood and consequences of incidents. We have a comprehensive plan that fully addresses these processes, especially for locations deemed high-consequence areas. To learn more, visit atlantagaslight.com/ integritymanagementplan If you smell gas, act fast! Even though natural gas pipeline incidents are uncommon, you can help prevent emergencies by knowing the signs of a potential problem. LOOK for blowing dirt, discolored vegetation or continued bubbling of standing water. LISTEN for a h issing or roaring noise near a natural gas appliance or line. SMELL the distinctive, rotten-egg odor associated with natural gas. Natural gas is colorless and odorless, so we add a chemical odorant called mercaptan for easy detection. This odorant has a distinctive "rotten-egg" type odor. You should act any time you detect even a small amount of this odor in the air. If you suspect a natural gas leak, do the following: DO NOT try to identify the source or to stop the leak yourself. LEAVE the area immediately and move a safe distance away from the potential leak, while avoiding any action that may cause sparks. AVOID using any sources of ignition, such as cellphones, cigarettes, matches, flashlights, electronic devices, motorized vehicles, light switches or landlines, as natural gas can ignite from a spark or open flame, possibly causing a fire or explosion. Natural gas is nontoxic, lighter than air and displaces oxygen. In severe cases, if not used properly, it can also lead to asphyxiation. CALL Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321 or 911 once you are out of the area of the suspected leak and in a safe place. Stay away until Atlanta Gas Light or emergency personnel indicate it is safe to return. Note: Do not solely rely on sense of smell to determine if a gas leak exists. Be aware that some individuals may not be able to detect the odorant because they have a diminished sense of smell, olfactory fatigue or because the odor is being masked by other odors in the area. Certain conditions may cause the odorant to diminish so that it is not detectable. Some gas lines, due to their unique function, may not have odor at all. For more information, visit atlantagaslight.com/safety or call 800.427.5463 Atlanta Gas Light Online Survey: Please take a moment to complete an online survey about natural gas safety and you at https://www.surveymonkey.eom/r/L6DTN69 to help us make sure we are keeping our communities safe. © 2020 Southern Company Gas. All rights reserved. Do not reuse text or graphics without written permission. AGL-20013
