Darrell Walker Obituary, Death; – A resident of Hephzibah lost his life on Thursday morning in a collision on Deans Bridge Road, marking the third traffic-related death this week in Richmond County. Darrell Walker, aged 56, was transported to Wellstar MCG Health following the two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Deans Bridge Road and Dover Street.
The incident occurred at 7:06 a.m., and Walker was declared deceased at the hospital at 7:41 a.m., according to Coroner Mark Bowen. The sheriff’s office reported that the accident resulted in serious injuries to those involved, although additional details remain unavailable. A witness recorded a video showing one of the vehicles colliding with a building off the roadway.
This unfortunate incident transpired just 24 hours after another fatality on Mike Padgett Highway, north of Tobacco Road, where 58-year-old Andrew Mark Pregel IV lost his life in a crash on Wednesday. His wife, Laura Rice, shared online that Pregel was a father to three sons and a daughter and had served in the Army until his retirement. She stated, ‘He was returning home from work at Plant Vogel, preparing for a week off when this accident occurred. We would like to express our gratitude to all first responders at the scene.
I have already taken the time to thank them for their efforts on his behalf. I wish a swift and safe recovery to the other injured individual.’ Earlier in the week, on Monday, 8-year-old Camden Poole tragically died in a crash at the intersection of Tobacco and Peach Orchard roads, coinciding with his birthday. Lee Earnest Jones Jr., aged 49, has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide and failure to yield following the fatal incident that occurred around 1:04 p.m.
Authorities reported that one vehicle, carrying two adults and a child, was traveling southbound on Peach Orchard Road, while Jones’s vehicle was heading northbound and attempting a left turn at the intersection when the collision took place. All three occupants of the southbound vehicle were hospitalized, but unfortunately, the child, identified as Camden Poole, succumbed to his injuries at 2:50 p.m. on Monday.
