Sheriff's Office News

Motorist Escapes Serious Injury in Wreck

A motorist from Gainesville escaped serious injury when her car ran off the road late yesterday afternoon and ended up on its top in a creek.

According to details released by Investigator David Garrison, Traffic Specialist with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the motorist was identified as Sandy Callis, age 41, of Gainesville.

Investigator Garrison said Ms. Callis was westbound on State Route 306 (Keith Bridge Road) near Cantrell Circle when she swerved to avoid an oncoming small blue car that crossed the centerline into her lane.   When her wheels hit the ice and snow covered shoulder of the road, her 2005 Buick LaCrosse overturned down a steep embankment and ended up in the creek.   Ms. LaCrosse was trapped in her vehicle and had to be extricated by Fire Department personnel.

According to Forsyth County Deputy First Class Mark Seabolt, who was one of the first responders on scene, Ms. Callis was saved by her seatbelt which kept her body out of the waist-deep water.  She was hanging upside down in the car, Seabolt said.   Seabolt held Ms. Callis’ head of out of the water to keep her from drowning.  DFC Seabolt and Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Kenneth Yarbrough attended to Ms. Callis until the Fire Department  arrived on-scene with rescue equipment. Ms. Callis was entrapped about 30 minutes, then was transported by ambulance to North Fulton Hospital where she was treated for hypothermia.   

Ms. Callis was alone in her car, Garrison said, and the identity of the driver of the blue car is unknown.  Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in this wreck, Garrison added.

The first 911 call reporting the accident was received at 3:44 p.m.  The accident caused S.R. 306 to be completely shut down until 5:30 p.m.

Deputy Scott Banning Named Deputy of the Month

Four Businesses Cited for Underage Alcohol Sales

Four Forsyth County businesses were cited last weekend for selling alcoholic beverages to an underage person, Sheriff Ted Paxton said today.
The underage operation, which took place on Saturday, February 6, involved visits to eight restaurants and three retail stores.  In each instance, a person under the age of 21 would enter the restaurant or store and attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage. If the underage person was served without being asked for proper proof of age, a deputy in plain clothes who witnessed the violation would issue the citation.   At no time was any alcohol consumed.

The four businesses cited include:
Fajitas Mexican Grill, 5755 Atlanta Highway
El Porton Mexican Restaurant, 4902 Atlanta Highway
Wal-Mart, 5455 Atlanta Highway
Black Diamond Grill, 1486 Peachtree Parkway

The other seven businesses that were checked asked for proper identification.

Each licensee of the businesses cited will now face an administrative hearing before the Board of Commissioners.  In addition, the employees who were cited in each business will appear in Magistrate’s Court to answer those charges.

In addition to the underage alcohol sales charges, an arrest was made at the Black Diamond Grill when the undercover officer witnessed an individual smoking marijuana in a car.  The individual was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

“We take underage sales of alcohol very seriously,” Sheriff Paxton said.  “Our undercover enforcement operations will continue on a regular basis in an effort to make sure that every business selling alcohol in Forsyth County complies with the law”.

Two Dead, Three Injured in Crash

Two people were killed and three others were injured in a head-on collision on State Route 53 last night.

According to Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Specialist Investigator Ron Tomblin, the wreck occurred on S.R. 53 (Dawsonville Hwy) just west of Anderson Lake Road.

Tomblin said a westbound 2005 Dodge Stratus crossed the center line and collided head-on with an eastbound 2007 Kia Sportage .   The driver of the Dodge was identified as Deborah Elaine Mace, age 44, of The Trail Road in Gainesville.  Mace was seriously injured and was flown by helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center.  The driver of the Kia Sportage was identified as Ricky Joe Frady, age 48, of Tate Frady Road in Suwanee, GA.  Frady died instantly in the crash.

Mace was alone in her car.  Frady had three passengers in his SUV.  One of the passengers, Brenda Williams, age 57, of Habitat Trail in Gainesville, was also killed in the collision.   Williams was a rear seat passenger.  Another rear seat passenger, Kishia Ray, age 18, also of Habitat Trail, was seriously injured and was flown by helicopter to Gwinnett Medical Center.  The front seat passenger in Frady’s SUV, Hattie Lorene Skywark, age 48, also of Tate Frady Road, was seriously injured and was transported by ambulance to North Fulton Hospital.