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Two fatal wrecks in Long County in two days
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A red outline on a pine tree along Highway 301 in Long County shows where it was struck by a truck Wednesday. A passenger in the vehicle was killed and the driver was hospitalized. - photo by Photo by Mike Riddle

Wednesday's crask

A passenger, riding with Thomas M. Gore of Townsend, died in a single-vehicle wreck Wednesday on Highway 301 in Long County.
According to Georgia State Patrol, Sgt. Ken White, Gore was driving north on Highway 301 at about 1:15 p.m. when he lost control of his GMC pickup.
The vehicle went off the road and into a ditch, then hit a  pine tree and flipped upside down.  
The passenger, who has not been identified, was ejected from the truck and reportedly died at the scene.
Gore was transported by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah. His condition was unknown.
The wreck is under investigation.

Tuesday's wreck

William L. Miller, 53, of Blackshear, a passenger in a vehicle driven by Ralphord L. Burch, 52, died of injuries sustained in a wreck Tuesday in Long County.
A witness to the incident called 911 to report the wreck at 5:08 p.m.
According to Georgia State Patrol Trooper Russell Taunton, the men were traveling from Blackshear and heading eastbound on Highway 84 toward Hinesville when the wreck occurred.
Burch, who is from Axson, was reportedly driving at a high rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle near Benton Bay Road. 
Burch’s 1994 Ford Escort left the road and hit an embankment, where it flipped two or three times before landing upside down in the woods.  Both men were ejected from the vehicle.
Taunton said the investigation so far showed the vehicle was out of control for 398 feet on the highway and then traveled another 225 feet off the road and into the woods.
The Ludowici/Long County Fire Department responded to the call.
According to Chief Darrell Ballance, Burch was found next to the vehicle and Miller was found about 30 feet away.
Ballance said both men were conscious when emergency responders arrived, but had suffered severe trauma as well as cuts, bruises and broken bones.
The Life Star helicopter was called to the scene, and Miller was air lifted to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, where he later died.
Burch was transported by ambulance to Liberty Regional Medical Center in Hinesville. He was later airlifted to MHUMC.
On Wednesday, trooper Taunton said the Jesup Police Department had place a BOLO on a 1994 Escort that matched the description of Burch’s at about 4:40 p.m. in connection with a hit-and-run incident.
Both the wreck in Long County and the incident in Jesup are still under investigation.

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