TIFT COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - A deadly early morning crash in Tift County has left one person dead and another seriously injured.

According to Georgia State Patrol (GSP), troopers responded around 6:20 a.m. on Monday to a crash involving a bicycle and a vehicle on GA 35.

Investigators say the bicyclist was traveling north along the far-right side of the northbound lane of GA 35 when a red Ford Edge, also heading north, struck the bicycle with the front left side of the vehicle.

Troopers say the driver of the Ford Edge made a U-turn, parked on the west shoulder of the southbound side of GA 35, and crossed the highway to help the bicyclist. However, as she tried to return to her vehicle, she was struck by a Ford F-250 heading southbound.

The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford Edge was taken to Tift Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.

Benny Newbern, who lives near the crash site, says he’s lived in the area for more than 20 years and has never seen anything like it.

“You feel bad seeing someone get hit like that, you know. The dude was already hit. She’s the one that hit him and made a U-turn right here, you can see where she turned right there. And she ran out in the road was trying to flag the truck down,” Newbern said.

Newbern said the bicyclist was a familiar face in the area whom he saw every day.

“I see that dude about two times a day. He always come through here and ride around the edge of that road right there.”

Newbern expressed frustration with the lack of enforcement on GA 35, saying speeding is a recurring problem, and with more police presence, things like this may be avoided.

“People need to slow down. I don’t hardly ever see the state patrols on this road pulling anyone over that much. People come through here hauling boogy.”

The Troop H Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is assisting with the ongoing investigation.

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