Updated-GSP says charges pending in wreck that claimed life of Cleveland woman

CLEVELAND – A driver for Waste Management is facing charges after the truck he was operating failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a vehicle, resulting in the death of its passenger Wednesday afternoon north of Cleveland. 

That’s according to information from Sgt. 1^st Class Anthony Coleman of Georgia State Patrol Post 6 in Gainesville.

A Mack CV700 garbage truck owned by Waste Management and driven by Jeremy Dooley, 30, of Washington, Ga., was traveling west on Albert Reid Road when it failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the passenger side of a 2012 Ford Focus driven by Dayna Neal, 56, of Buford, that was traveling north on U.S. 129, Coleman said by email.

After the garbage truck struck the passenger side of the car with its front, the car struck the guardrail with its left side.

The car’s passenger, Betsy Marquis, 83, of Cleveland, died at the scene.

The car’s front airbags and passenger-side airbags deployed during the wreck, and all three people involved were wearing seatbelts, according to Coleman.

Neal was transported by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to Coleman.

The wreck happened just north of Cleveland about 3:45 p.m. and blocked traffic on U.S. 129 in both directions for an extended time.

“The driver of Vehicle 1 [Waste Management truck] stated that his brakes did not work when he applied them,” Coleman said by email. “Charges are pending.”

White County emergency personnel at the scene of Wednesday afternoon’s fatal wreck on U.S. 129 north of Cleveland. Photo-Dean Dyer