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.
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An Eastanollee man died from injuries suffered when his 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe struck a large tree stump Thursday afternoon. (Photo/Rob Moore)
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An AirLife Georgia helicopter lifts off from the grounds of Tom's Creek Baptist Church in Martin Thursday afternoon. (Photo/Rob Moore)
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Thursday afternoon's impact caused extensive damage to the Chevrolet Tahoe, resulting in the driver's death. (Photo/Rob Moore)
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A 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe left Georgia Highway 145 and collided with this large tree stump Thursday afternoon, resulting in the death of an Eastanollee man. (Photo/Rob Moore)
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