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Georgia trucker dies in Saturday accident
By Carey Phillips
The driver of a tractor-trailer died as the result of an accident late Saturday morning east of Sylva.
Trooper S.K. Bowers of the N.C. Highway Patrol identified the victim as 29-year-old Chadwick Heath Milam of Gillsville, Ga.
Milam was traveling west on U.S. 23-74 around 11:45 a.m. when the accident occurred near Crawford Cemetery Road, according to Bowers. The vehicle ran off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail and then slid into an embankment before coming to rest on its top, the trooper said.
Milam was pinned in the vehicle, Bowers said. After being freed by members of the Jackson County Rescue Squad, Milam was transported to Harris Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:32 p.m., Bowers said.
The trooper said exceeding a safe speed was a contributing factor in the fatal accident.
Milam was driving for P&P Trucking Inc., of Clarkesville, Ga., and was carrying rolls of metal sheeting, Bowers said.
One of the westbound lanes remained open most of the time following the wreck. Members of the Balsam Fire Department were on the scene and assisted with traffic control for several hours.
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