A Statesboro man died in a two-vehicle crash early Monday morning at the intersection of Fair Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway, an intersection consistently ranked as the city's most dangerous.
According to a preliminary report, the fatal crash occurred around 3:00 AM when a man driving a Hyundai Elantra south on Fair Road failed to stop for a red light. A tractor-trailer traveling west on Veterans Memorial Parkway collided with the driver's side of the Elantra.
Bulloch County 911 dispatched Bulloch County EMS, Statesboro Police, and Statesboro Fire to the scene. Statesboro Fire Department personnel had to extricate the man from the vehicle. Bulloch County Coroner Chuck Francis responded and pronounced the man deceased at the scene. The victim's name is being withheld pending family notification, but Coroner Francis confirmed the man was a Statesboro resident.
Due to the fatality, the Statesboro Police Department requested Georgia State Patrol Trooper First Class Jacob Stansell to lead the investigation. The intersection was closed for three hours while the investigation was conducted and the scene was cleared.
The intersection of Fair Road and Veterans Memorial Parkway has a well-documented history of being a high-risk area for collisions. Both the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and City engineers have been exploring solutions to improve safety, including plans for a roundabout.
Just last month, GDOT announced they were installing a new radar-based "dilemma zone" detection system at the intersection to reduce red-light-related crashes. The technology, which automatically extends green lights for vehicles detected in a yellow phase, was expected to be operational by the start of the school year. It is not yet known if the new technology had been activated at the time of the crash.
Grice Connect extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends impacted by this tragic death.
