Wreck claims life of Stephens County man

MARTIN - A wreck on Georgia Highway 145 near the Stephens/Franklin County line claimed the life of an Eastanollee man Thursday afternoon.

Trooper 1st Class Tim Brock of Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa said 47-year-old Clay Lawrence Cheek died as a result of the single-vehicle wreck, reported at 2:56 p.m. near Tom's Creek Baptist Church.

Brock said Cheek's 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling north on Georgia 145 when it left the roadway and struck a large tree stump.

Impact was across from the church's south driveway.

There was no indication of braking or swerving before impact, Brock said.

The SUV struck the stump with its front, coming immediately to a stop. Cheek was trapped in the wreckage and had to be cut free.

Cheek was airlifted from the church grounds but died en route to an Anderson, S.C., hospital.

Brock and Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley said an autopsy will be performed on Cheek to determine whether he died as a result of injuries suffered in the wreck, or if another medical issue contributed.

The section of Georgia Highway 145 immediately in front of the church was closed for an extended time following the wreck.