Driver killed in crash with gospel tour bus
The driver of a pickup truck that collided Wednesday with a gospel band's tour bus has died, the Dawson County coroner has confirmed.
Meabon Sanner, 75, was driving on Ga. 400 when his truck was hit by a tour bus carrying a Southern Gospel musical group. The accident sent Sanner and another person on the bus to the hospital, shutting the highway down in North Georgia for about an hour.
Sanner was airlifted to North Fulton Regional Hospital, Dawson County Coroner Ted Bearden said. He was pronounced dead around 4 p.m., Bearden said.
Sanner lived in Gainesville.
The wreck occurred when Sanner was traveling southbound through Dawson County -- where Ga. 400 is a divided highway with traffic lights -- turned left across the northbound lane, Sheriff's Lt. Tony Wooten told the AJC.
The crash occurred at around 10:30 a.m. and Sanner was driving a Tacoma, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
The bus was carrying the Dahlonega-based musician Karen Peck, the GSP said, adding that she was among four treated at the scene. Peck and her group New River were nominated for a 2009 Grammy for their album Ephesians One.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
