I-16 pileups lead to fatal accident

A 53-year-old Elko man died in a Macon hospital after he drove into the back of another vehicle when traffic had come to a stop because of three previous accidents – two of which involved vehicles hitting the same broken down 18-wheeler on the side of the road – on Interstate 16 early last Friday. 

According to a Georgia State Patrol incident report, Walter Allen Pratt was driving a 2020 Kenworth Construction vehicle, traveling east in the right lane of I-16 around 8:45 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23. In front of him were a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado with a trailer, driven by Rene Cedano, 39, of Palmetto, a 2012 Freightliner, driven by Ronnie Oneal Hurst, 40, of Covington, and a 2015 Freightliner, driven by Brandon Antonio Doles, 29, of Woodstock. These three vehicles had come to a stop in the right lane of I-16 East due to earlier wrecks on the road in Laurens County. 

The Kenworth hit the 2015 Freightliner, causing it to strike the back of the 2012 Freightliner. This vehicle then hit the back of the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado. After hitting the 2015 Freightliner, Pratt’s vehicle continued for another 66 feet to the paved edge where it overturned for 122 feet coming to an uncontrolled stop on the south shoulder of the interstate. Pratt was transported to Navicent Health Hospital, where he died from injuries he received in the crash. 

The 2015 Freightliner struck the 2012 Freightliner before rotating counterclockwise for 66 feet before overturning on the cable barriers in the median. Doles was transported to Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin with suspected minor or visible injury.

The 2012 Freightliner hit the Chevrolet and rotated counterclockwise for 62 feet before striking the cable barriers and then continued for 22 feet into the median before it came to an uncontrolled stop. Hurst was transported to FPH with suspected minor or visible injuries.

After being struck, the Chevrolet continued straight for approximately 89 feet with its trailer overturning into the road for an uncontrolled final stop. Cedano and passenger were transported to FPH. Both were listed with possible injuries or complaints.

The first of what turned out to be four overall wrecks began around 5:30 a.m. Friday when a 2017 Toyota Corolla, driven by Lasonya Laquin Edmond, 39, of Rentz was heading east on I-16 in the right lane near mile marker 37. 

A 2016 Freightliner Cascadia, driven by Mohamed Ahmed Ali, 31, of Eagan, Minnesota had broken down and parked on the right shoulder of the road out of the travel lanes. The Toyota failed to maintain lane, crossed the right fog line and collided with the trailer of the Freightliner. The Toyota eventually came to an uncontrolled final rest in the median. 

Edmond was transported to FPH with suspected minor or visible injuries. 

Ali told GSP that his vehicle experienced fuel/engine failure around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, which was why it was parked on the shoulder of the road with its emergency flashers on. He also deployed reflective triangles in the road behind his vehicle.

The second wreck occurred hours later at the same crash site. 

Around 7:49 a.m., a 2016 Mack, driven by James Gerald Futch, 76, of Pembroke, approached the Ali’s vehicle and also failed to maintain lane, hitting the broken down Freightliner. After the Mack continued to hit the left side of the vehicle, it struck several small trees before hitting a fence. Futch was not taken for treatment.

Around 8:05 a.m., three more vehicles were involved in a wreck after traffic began backing up due to the first two crashes. 

Joseph Ryan Chajkowski, 45, of Stone Mountain, was traveling east in a 2023 Ford F-150. Donnavon Shane Edmond, 49, of Forsyth, was driving a 2019 Ford Transit and Justin Deon Hill, 45, of Montrose, was traveling in a 2018 Kenworth. Both Edmond and Hill were slowing to a stop because of the previous wrecks.

Chajkowski said he looked down for just a second to grab his coffee when his vehicle began to auto-brake. He looked up in time to see his vehicle striking the back of the Ford Transit. 

Hill told a trooper that he began to slow down in the left lane due to a crash ahead of him. He was almost completely stopped when he heard a crash behind him and then felt the impact from the Ford Transit. 

Chajkowski and Hill were not injured while Edmond was transported to FPH and listed with a suspected minor or visible injuries.