Dodge County Sheriff's Deputies, Rhine Fire Department First Responders and Dodge EMS responded to a fatal traffic accident that occurred on Rhine Highway GA 117 next to John Howard's store Monday, July 13, 2009 around 4:30 p.m. The Rhine Highway is currently being repaved by contractors working for the Georgia D.O.T. Emergency personnel arrived at the wreck scene and found a tractor trailer overturned, trapping the driver of the vehicle under the cab of the truck.
The tractor-trailer was loaded with gravel. The driver was apparently standing outside the cab of the truck and was attempting to dump the gravel at the highway road construction storage area beside the highway. The load shifted, causing the truck and trailer to overturn. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver's name has not been released pending the notification of the family. The driver was not local and was an independent contractor. The accident is under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.
Deputies have served numerous child support warrants in the last week and answered numerous domestic disturbance calls. All deputies of the sheriff's office recently completed firearms qualification training in conjunction with the Wilcox County Sheriff's Office at Wilcox State Prison.
There were 79 inmates incarcerated in the Dodge County Jail as of late Monday afternoon. A large number of the inmates have already been sentenced to prison and are awaiting bed space with the Georgia Department of Corrections.
The sheriff's office continues to support the youth of the county. Sheriff Jeff Hinson escorted the Eastman/Dodge County Recreation Department AllStars girls' teams through Eastman for a victory parade after winning the State Tournament on Saturday, July 11, 2008.
