Beloved Columnist Dies In Statesboro Crash

mrandolphadvance@gmail.com

Azure Rountree – a talented chef and longtime columnist for The Advance – passed away on Tuesday, August 19, due to injuries sustained in a Statesboro car wreck.

Rountree, 49, of Nevils, was driving on Nevils-Denmark Road with her 15 year-old daughter when the pair were hit by a semitruck traveling along Georgia Highway 46. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the truck driver failed to stop at the intersection’s four-way stop, causing him to collide with Rountree as the family’s minivan entered the intersection.

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mediately succumbed to injuries from the crash while still on-scene; and was pronounced dead on the way to East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro. The daughter was flown to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, where she also succumbed to her injuries two days later.

The intersection was previously a two-way stop, as drivers on Nevils-Denmark Road were required to stop, while drivers traveling on Georgia Highway 46 were not. On July 10, the Georgia Department of Transportation changed the intersection into a 4-way stop, citing frequent accidents as the reasoning.

A Vidalia High School graduate, Rountree has roots in the area, and has become known across the region for her excellent recipes, as she authored cookbooks, cooking articles, and more, detailing exciting dishes sure to satisfy at any gathering. Many of these recipes could be found in The Advance each month.

In addition to her success in the kitchen, Rountree was also a devoted mother and homemaker, as she cared for her four children. When her son James was diagnosed with Autism in April 2011, Rountree became a strong advocate for those with disabilities, as she used her cookbooks and other endeavors to raise money for children with special needs. “[ James’s diagnosis] opened our eyes to a whole new world of children with disabilities that touched our hearts in ways we could have never imagined,” she shared in one of her cookbooks.

Rountree’s life was honored with a memorial service on Sunday afternoon, August 24. She will be remembered as someone who poured her heart into everything she did – whether it was cooking or spending time with her family. Her memory will live on through her recipes and dishes as they are prepared throughout the future.