A Bostwick couple died in a tragic accident on the evening of Sept. 7 when the vehicle they were traveling in nose-dived off a bridge on High Shoals Road near Paxson Dairy Road at 11 p.m.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, Mitchell Gregory Lee, 60, and Jan Lee, 59, likely drowned in Jacks Creek as a result of the accident.
According to the report, the vehicle in which the couple was traveling approached a small bridge over a river, crossed the centerline into the southbound lane of High Shoals Road, struck a small concrete bridge railing, and “nose-dived off the west side of the small bridge and dropped approximately 15 feet into the river as it flipped onto its roof.”
According to the report, “the vehicle came to an uncontrolled rest on its roof in the river with its cab submerged under water. No paint transfer or any other visible evidence was located to suggest that another vehicle was involved in the crash."
The driver and passenger were pronounced deceased at the scene by the Morgan County Coroner. The coroner took possession of both victims as well as their pet dog that died in the crash. Both victims were transported from the crash scene to the Morgan County Coroner’s Office.
The Georgia State Patrol says further investigation by the GBI crime lab is needed to determine the cause of death for both the driver and passenger, but initial evidence suggests they likely drowned.
GSP reports say the crash happened five hours before law enforcement was notified.
“The bridge in question did not have any guard rails that were significant enough to have prevented the vehicle from falling into the river below,” the GSP accident report said. “It is unclear what caused the driver to fail to maintain his lane. No evidence, such as tire marks, roadway obstructions, or roadway damage to help determine the cause of the driver’s failure to maintain lane, could be located.”
Mitchell Lee was not “suspected to have any medical condition that would contribute to a loss of consciousness, and he was not suspected to have fallen asleep, to have been under the influence or to have been distracted at the time of the crash,” the GSP said.
Both driver and passenger were pronounced deceased at the scene by the Morgan County Coroner.
The crash remains under investigation.