Joseph Hickey Dies in Log Truck Crash on U.S. Highway 17 in Brunswick, Georgia
On February 12, 2025, a devastating accident unfolded on U.S. Highway 17 in Brunswick, Georgia, resulting in the death of Joseph William Hickey, a 33-year-old resident of Waynesville. The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. when a log truck, driven by Wendall Monroe Lovell, 41, of Waycross, overturned onto its passenger side, spilling its load of logs across the roadway. One of these logs tragically landed on Hickey’s Mitsubishi Outlander, causing his immediate death at the scene. The Georgia State Patrol reported that Lovell, the truck driver, was initially charged with DUI, with subsequent charges of vehicular homicide added as the investigation progressed.
The crash also impacted other vehicles on the highway. Two additional cars struck logs scattered across the road, and a Nissan Juke, attempting to exit a private driveway and turn westbound onto U.S. Highway 17 near its intersection with Ga. Highway 303, was involved in the incident. The unidentified Nissan driver sustained severe injuries and was airlifted to UF Health Shands Hospital in Jacksonville in critical condition. The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is actively investigating the circumstances of the crash, while the Motor Carrier Compliance Division has conducted an inspection of the log truck.
