Grandfather Killed By Ambulance After He Pulled Over To Help His Stranded Grandson On Georgia Highway

A Georgia grandfather who pulled complete to thief his stranded teenage grandson connected a highway successful Oconee County was killed, and nan teen was earnestly injured, aft an ambulance deed them and pinned some beneath nan conveyance Sunday night.

John Carter Martin had stopped his maroon Ford F-150 to thief his grandson, Connor Lee Schoon, 17, whose Toyota Camry had surgery down successful nan westbound lanes of Atlanta Highway adjacent Whitehead Road astir 9:50 p.m., according to nan Georgia State Patrol, 11 Alive reported.

Investigators said Martin parked his motortruck successful beforehand of nan abnormal Camry, and some he and his grandson sewage retired to effort to hole it. While they were extracurricular their vehicles, a westbound Northeast Georgia Medical Center ambulance slammed into nan rear of nan Camry, sending each 3 vehicles onto nan northbound enarthrosis and pinning some men beneath nan ambulance, according to nan Oconee County Coroner, 11 Alive reports.

Martin was pronounced dormant astatine nan scene.

Schoon was critically injured and first taken to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center earlier being airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta astatine Arthur M. Blank Hospital. His mother, Jennifer Martinez, said he suffered aggregate lacerations, a surgery near clavicle and soul bleeding from a lacerated spleen, requiring a 3.5-hour emergency room to extremity nan bleeding.

He has since been moved retired of nan Pediatric Intensive Care Unit into a regular room and is successful unchangeable condition, though still recovering physically and emotionally, Martinez told 11 Alive.

Martinez said her boy told her some vehicles had their hazard lights connected and were pulled acold capable disconnected nan roadworthy to let passing traffic.

“He kept asking me, his dada and step-dad, wherever was Papa?” Martinez told Atlanta News First Tuesday. “We told him nan harsh truth today. He remembers seeing Papa getting deed arsenic well. Please person nan organization believe for each of america astatine this time.”

The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team has joined nan investigation, and troopers opportunity charges are imaginable erstwhile nan probe is complete.

"Our hearts spell retired to everyone progressive successful nan mishap and their loved ones. We are cooperating pinch nan mishap investigation and providing intelligence and affectional support to unit members who person been impacted," a spokesperson from Northeast Georgia Medical Center said successful a connection to Atlanta News First.

The Independent has contacted nan Northeast Georgia Medical Center and nan Georgia State Patrol for an update.