Beth Alston
ELLAVILLE — An Ellaville man was killed and his passenger seriously injured in a one-vehicle traffic crash mid-day Friday in Schley County.
Trooper Michael Lewis of the Georgia State Patrol Post 10 Americus, said the Post was notified at 1:28 p.m. to respond to the scene on U.S. Highway 19 North, near the Schley County Schools.
According to Lewis, Tommy Welch, 52, of Ellaville, driving a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, was traveling south on 19 and attempting to pass several cars. The trooper said the truck traveled into the northbound lane into the path of northbound traffic and Welch snatched the steering wheel, overcorrecting, and lost control of the truck, which flipped end over end several times, ejecting both Welch and his passenger, Shane Curles, 30, of Ellaville.
Lewis said Curles, who sustained serious injuries, was taken by EMS to Sumter Regional Hospital and then airlifted to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany.
Lewis said the contributing factor in the crash was improper passing.
