GA State Patrol Finishes Investigation of Lyons Wreck

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The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) has concluded their investigation on a Lyons crash that took the life of one man at 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, August 16.

Jimmy Vaughan, Sr., 63, of Lyons, was driving north on Victory Drive with his son Jimmy Vaughan, Jr., 38, of Lyons, when the men noticed a fallen tree was blocking the roadway near Skyline Boulevard. Vaughan Sr. pulled over in the southbound lane of the road and got out to begin moving the tree out of the road while Vaughan Jr. remained sitting in the front seat.

While Vaughan Sr. was working to move the tree, Kristen Deloach, 34, of Vidalia, topped the hill while driving southbound on Victory Drive, and hit Vaughan Sr. and his vehicle with the front of her car before running off the west shoulder of the road, spinning counterclockwise, and coming to an uncontrolled rest facing east.

Vaughan Sr. was thrown into the ditch on the northbound shoulder of the road, while his car was pushed backwards before running off the road, spinning, and coming to an uncontrolled rest.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they found Vaughan Sr. lying unconscious in the ditch; his son was by his side attempting to help. Vaughan Sr. was taken to the Memorial Health Meadows Hospital by ambulance, but succumbed to his injuries around 3:15 a.m. Vaughan Jr. and Deloach were suspected to have minor injuries, but were not taken for treatment.

Deloach told officers that she didn’t see Vaughan Sr. in the road before the collision, and estimated she was going around 55 mph at the time of the crash, though the posted speed limit was 35 mph. She was also determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol and was arrested for DUI.

The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team and troopers investigated the incident and determined Vaughan Sr. to be the individual at fault because of him being in the southbound lane.