A 24-year-old man was killed in a single vehicle crash Friday morning, November 15, on Highway 515 East of Morganton.
Fannin County Coroner Becky Callihan identified the victim as Austin Lee Gilleland of a Blairsville address. She said she pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to a report filed by Georgia State Patrol Trooper Randall White, Gilleland was traveling west in a 1999 G20 Infiniti.
The driver was negotiating a curve when he lost control and the vehicle rotated clockwise and entered into a yaw, exited the north shoulder of the roadway in a clockwise yaw, traveled approximately 170 feet before becoming airborne and overturning off an embankment. It then traveled through some small trees for approximately 43 feet, coming to rest on its right side, the report said.
The report also said a witness stated the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed.
The crash occurred at 8:20 a.m. some 300 feet east of Highway 515’s intersection with the Hemptown Connector.
The victim’s address was listed as Athens, Georgia, on the GSP report.
Gilleland was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Callihan urged all drivers to always wear seat belts as their use can make a positive difference in the outcome of any crash. While there are no guarantees, it has been proven “seat belts save lives,” she said.