MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – UPDATE: Two of the three who died in the accident have been identified. Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says 81-year-old Marjorie Jones, of Dublin, and 84-year-old Robert Day, of Vidalia, were the two identified. The third victim has not yet been identified.
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UPDATE: The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office has charged 39-year-old Gerard Thompson of Palmetto Georgia with three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving.
According to a report, cars were slowing down, some even coming to a stop traveling Westbound on I-16, when Thompson who was driving a tractor trailer, didn’t slow down. He hit a pickup truck, which hit a small car and all three caught on fire. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, and one later died at Navicent Health.
A total of nine vehicles were involved in the accident.
There is no information on the pickup or small car.
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Coroner Leon Jones says a bad year for fatalities in Macon-Bibb just got worse.
Seven vehicles were involved in a massive accident earlier this evening on I-16 East that has left 3 people confirmed dead so far.
Authorities got a call a little after 5:30 P.M. about the accident that happened between the downtown Macon and Ocmulgee East exits.
Jones says an 18 wheeler involved and two other vehicles had the most damage.
“Three vehicles are burned beyond recognition. That’s an 18-wheeler that ran on top of a pick up truck and a small vehicle. All three of those vehicles were burned beyond recognition.”
Jones says they’re not certain on what caused the accident yet, but that it’ll be some time before they have the answer.
Three of the people involved died on the scene while three others were rushed to Navicent Health Hospital in critical condition. One of those three died at the hospital.
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Three people are dead and a truck driver is in Bibb County jail following a wreck on Interstate 16 in Macon Tuesday night.
The accident happened in the westbound lanes near exit 6.
Killed in the crash were Marjorie Jones, 81, of Dublin, Robert Day, 84, of Vidalia and third victim who has not yet been identified, according to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.
The tractor trailer driver, Gerard Thompson, 49, of Palmetto has been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving, according to a Bibb County Sheriff's Office news release.
Gerard Thompson (Photo: Wade, Jakie)
Thompson reportedly hit a pickup truck, which caused the truck to hit a smaller vehicle. All three of those vehicles caught on fire, according to Bibb County Sheriff's Sgt. Linda Howard.
According to Coroner Leon Jones, the two identified victims, Jones and Day, are connected to Greater New Friendship Baptist Church. Jones was riding in the church's van and Day was in a separate vehicle.
They were headed to a service in Macon.