Gainesville missionary killed in traffic accident

GAINESVILLE - A missionary who lived in Gainesville was killed, along with two other men, in a traffic accident in Africa on Monday.

Dr. George Hutchinson, 74, was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by a Ugandan pastor in Kampala, Uganda. Another man on the trip, Herb Guthrie from Athens, was in the vehicle as well. All three were killed, according to Rev. John Batusic, Hutchinson's pastor at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church.

"A milk truck was coming around a curve and was passing another vehicle going around that curve and when it did, it ran head-on into Mr. Hutchinson's vehicle," said Batusic.

Hutchinson was a native of Florida, but he had lived in Gainesville since 1987.

Batusic said Hutchison held a PhD. from Oxford University in England. He said "Rev. George's" passion was teaching other pastors.

"He traveled for weeks at a time going to Russia, Germany, India, but especially Uganda," said Batusic.

A retired Presbyterian pastor, Hutchinson was the director of a ministry called Church Planting International.

Batusic said while Hutchinson will be buried in Pennsylvania next week, a memorial service is scheduled for July 6 at 11 a.m. at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church on Winder Highway.