THOMSON, Ga. - A McDuffie County maintenance employee was seriously injured Thursday morning when the tractor he was operating turned over, pinning him inside, according to authorities.
McDuffie County Public Works Director Chris Pelly identified the victim as Brian Youngblood, of Thomson, who has been a county employee for a little more than a year.
Mr. Youngblood was injured when a Case backhoe tractor he was in overturned on Old Wrens Road, a dirt road located just off Georgia Highway 17., a few miles south of Thomson. The mishap occurred about 9:15 a.m.
Mr. Youngblood's injuries were described as serious, according to authorities on the scene. Firefighters/first responders with the McDuffie County Fire/Rescue Services, as well as personnel with the McDuffie County Emergency Medical Services provided medical attention to the victim.
He later was airlifted by helicopter from the scene to the Medical College of Georgia Hospital in Augusta.
Mr. Pelly said Mr. Youngblood and another county employee, Walter Dorsey, were clearing bushes and trees from the right-of-way along Old Wrens Road at the time of the accident.
Trooper First Class Mike Callaway and Trooper Cadet Kevin Pope of the Georgia State Patrol post in Thomson are investigating the mishap.
