Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Andrews

Head-On Crash Saturday Night That Took Eight Lives Termed Georgia's Worst Passenger Car Disaster
Fate decreed that a hill on Route 42, North, scant yards beyond the recently extended city limits of Jackson be the scene of Georgia's worst passenger car crash late Saturday night in which eight were killed as two automobiles collided head-on near the crest. Five died instantly.
The dead were listed as:
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Andrews, about 65, of Montezuma.
LeRoy Allen Andrews, 42, of Decatur, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews.
Mrs. Mary Maxine Ward, about 60, of Montezuma, sister of the elder Mr. Andrews.
John W. Sims, 16, of McDonough.
Charles Foster, 17, of McDonough.
Miss Bessie Kate Blankenship, 19, of Fincherville, Butts county.
Mrs. Clifford Godby, 17, of Fincherville, sister of Miss Blankenship.
The tragic accident occurred shortly before midnight Saturday as the northbound car containing the Butts and Henry county residents, in an attempt to pass another vehicle, collided head-on with the southbound Andrews car near the crest of the hill almost in front of the Sunset Motel.
So terrific was the impact that first rescuers arriving on the scene experiences difficulty in extricating the dead and injured from the two cars. Ambulances were quickly summoned from Jackson and after hasty examinations by Jackson physicians, the serious and critically injured were rushed to the Griffin-Spalding County Hospital by Haisten Brothers and Peacock & Ball ambulances. One victim succumbed en route to Griffin, while yet another died soon upon arrival at the hospital. The death of Charles Foster Sunday afternoon brought the total dead to the present number of eight.
Butts County Sheriff J. D. Pope described the accident as the worst in the history of Butts county and says he doubts if there has ever been a more costly one in human lives in the history of the state.
State Patrol officials report that the Jackson accident is the worst on record involving passenger cars only.
There were seven occupants in the Andrews car, four of whom were killed. Listed in critical condition in Griffin-Spalding Hospital is Mrs. LeRoy Allen Andrews, 39, of Decatur. Termed in fair condition are Mrs. Andrews' sons, Eugene, 6, and Wayne, 4.
There were six occupants in the northbound vehicle, four of whom were killed. The condition of Jimmy Blankenship is considered fair and that of Billy Lester, of McDonough. serious.
During the day Sunday hundreds of curious spectators viewed the two demolished cars after they were towed into Jackson and placed on the east side of the square.
Double funeral services for Mrs. Godby and Miss Blankenship were held Tuesday afternoon at Bethany Baptist Church in Henry county with Rev. Ralph Goodwin, pastor of the Jackson Church of the Nazarene, officiating.

(Jackson Progress-Argus - April 23, 1953)

Ninth Victim of Jackson Crash Dies Sunday
Mrs. Lee Roy Andrews, 39, of Decatur, died Sunday morning in an Augusta hospital, becoming the ninth victim of a head-on collision near Jackson on Saturday night, April 18.
Eight persons including Mrs. Andrews husband died in the crash, termed by State Patrol official the worst passenger car crash in the state's history. The tragic collision occurred about midnight on *** just beyond the Jackson *** when one vehicle attempted to ** another and smashed head-on ** a third car near the crest. Five ** killed instantly, three succumbed within 24 hours and Mrs. Andrews lay critically injured for ore than a month in hospitals in Griffin and Augusta until her death Sunday.
(Jackson Progress-Argus - May 28, 1953)

Submitted by V. S. Harrison