Bulloch County man killed when struck by vehicle while standing in Dublin road near trailer

A man killed when he was hit by a car while standing near a trailer on Ga. 19 Tuesday has been identified after authorities contacted his family in Statesboro.

Kenneth Laverne Phillips, 71, of Statesboro was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:06 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, said Laurens County Deputy Coroner Nathan Stanley. He sent deputies to the man’s house but no one was there. Stanley said the neighbor’s son, who knew Phillips’ daughter, called him and gave him a contact number.

Phillips was traveling toward Dublin near Southern Pines Road when he pulled over and was believed to have been doing something to a trailer that he was pulling behind his 2010 Lexus SUV.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash investigation revealed that he stopped partially in the roadway, straddling the white line. The SUV did have its hazard lights flashing but they were not visible from the back due to a small utility trailer loaded with a metal carport.

A GSP official said the trailer did not have functioning lights, the area was dark and not lit. and the SUV driver was standing in the road near the back of the trailer. 

A sedan approached from the rear and hit the SUV driver as he was standing in the road. 

“(Phillips) had multiple blunt force trauma,” Stanley said. 

The sedan swerved into the west shoulder and hit a large creek.

“It was dark and the driver (of the sedan) probably didn’t see him,” Stanley said. “Part of the vehicle was on the side of the road and he was out in the road. There are no security lights, it is pitch dark right there and he had on dark clothes too. Nobody could have seen his lights from the SUV because it was blocking all of that. It is such a sad situation.” 

The driver of the sedan was transported to the hospital for minor injuries. Ga. 19 was blocked for approximately two hours until 11:30 p.m.