Two crashes around the same time Wednesday held up morning traffic as emergency responders and law enforcement worked to clear and investigate the accidents.

A crash on Highway 80 East and Pretoria Rushing Road around 8 a.m. Wednesday blocked traffic in both directions, but mostly for travelers heading west into Statesboro, for quite some distance from the accident scene, according to witnesses.

Shortly afterward, a log truck overturned and spilled its load at the intersection of Highway 80 West and Highway 25, Georgia State Patrol Sr. Trooper Brian Scott said.

Scott said reports for the accidents were incomplete Wednesday evening, and no further details were available at the time.

Around 8:30 a.m., an 18-wheeler carrying a load of large pine logs was traveling east on Highway 80, pulled into the turn lane at the intersection with Highway 25 and was going too fast when making a right turn, he said.

Clearing of the tractor-trailer and the logs backed up traffic heading both ways but created particularly long delays for drivers heading north on Highway 25 toward Millen.

The load of logs shifted and spilled as the truck toppled over, and logs struck a car traveling north on Highway 25, he said.

The driver of the car, Candace Burham, 24, of Midway, was not injured. The truck driver, John Wesley Manning, 35, of Reidsville, was transported to the hospital by EMS after complaining of pain, Scott said. Manning had to be extricated from the wreck but was not seriously injured, according to radio reports from law enforcement officers at the scene.

Manning was cited for driving too fast for conditions, Scott said.

The intersection of Highway 80 and Highway 25 has been the scene of several crashes involving overturned 18-wheelers. Typically, drivers involved in overturns are traveling too fast to make the turn without their loads shifting, he said.

Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.wy. 25, he said.H