BALDWIN - The northbound lanes of Georgia Highway 365 were closed for more than two hours Tuesday night after a two-vehicle wreck near L.C. Turner Road in Baldwin.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash that involved a silver Buick Century and blue 2006 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.
According to Trooper 1st Class John Crawford of GSP Post 7 in Toccoa, the car's male driver, identified as 65-year-old James Randall Whiten of Anderson, S.C., was southbound on Highway 365 and attempted to turn left onto L.C. Turner Road to visit relatives and struck the pickup truck with the car's left front.
The truck was owned and driven by 23-year-old Anna Brooke Carpenter of Toccoa.
After impact, the truck overturned several times, coming to rest in the median between L.C. Turner Road and Red Hawk Lane, in the direction of Duncan Bridge Road.
"The truck rolled at least twice, if not three times," Crawford said.
Carpenter and two other female occupants of the pickup were visibly injured and were taken by private vehicle to Habersham Medical Center for treatment.
Crawford identified the other occupants of the truck as 29-year-old Coley Jones of Toccoa and 58-year-old Sharon Elaine Hilton of Toccoa. He said all three work for Lee Arrendale State Prison in Alto and were headed home at the time of the wreck.
The women's injuries are not serious, and all appeared to have been wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, Crawford said.
The car continue across the northbound lanes of Highway 365 and came to rest with the driver's side down in a ditch on L.C. Turner Road.
Whiten was taken by patrol vehicle to Habersham Medical Center to be checked out for a bump to his head. He is charged with driving under the influence (pending), an open container violation, and failure to yield right of way, Crawford said.
Both northbound lanes of Highway 365 were closed, and the left southbound lane was closed as a result of the wreck.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/12/359281/driver-charged-in-wreck-that-shut-down-365-in-baldwin