A 25-year-old woman who grew up in Thomson and had gotten married in June, was killed in a single-car crash near the tiny community of Ila, Ga., in Madison County, on Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.
Mary Claire Neal Smith was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident that occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Georgia Highway 98 - the highway that runs between Commerce and Comer, Cadet Cal Barton of the Georgia State Patrol Post in Athens.
Madison County Coroner Michelle Cleveland said Deputy Coroner Gerald Kemp responded to the call and indicated that Mrs. Smith died from blunt force trauma.
The wreck happened three miles west of Ila when Mrs. Smith's VW Beetle convertible ran off the right shoulder of the roadway, hit a ditch and then struck a culvert before overturning, Cadet Barton said, noting that he assisted Trooper First Class J. Shirah in investigating the mishap.
Graveside services for Mrs. Smith are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Westview Cemetery in Thomson. Curtis Funeral Home in Thomson is in charge of all arrangements.
