An Eatonton man was killed Monday in a single-car crash on State Route 44, which rerouted traffic for more than five hours, according to authorities.
Jerard Jerome, 41, of Eatonton, apparently died instantly when the 2020 Honda Accord he was driving crashed into a traffic light pole, according to Putnam County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Russell Blenk.
Jerome was traveling south on GA-44 from Greensboro and as he came to the curve at Scott Road, he lost control of the car, went off the right side of the road and crashed into the traffic light pole at Scott Road in front of Truist Bank, said PCSO Sgt. Justin Brock.
“Speed was a factor in him losing control,” Brock said. “We could tell he was going fast by how far the pole went into the car.”
The impact caused the car to burst into flames, but passersby pulled Jerome out of the vehicle before the car was consumed by fire.
The 911 call was received at 10:53 a.m., and traffic along GA-44 was diverted around the scene by the way of Scott Road and Harmony Road until 4:23 p.m., Blenk said.
The traffic lights at the intersection of Scott Road and Highway 44 were installed and began operating only six weeks earlier, on April 12. They currently are not working due to the accident but are scheduled to be back up and running on Friday, May 27.