(Last Updated On: September 10, 2020)

DAWSONVILLE, GA – The driver of a pickup truck was critically injured when he crashed into a tour bus for a popular southern gospel band on Georgia State Route 400 in Dawsonville near Atlanta, GA on September 1, 2010.

Dawsonville is in Dawson County Georgia in the northern part of the state about 57 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Karen Peck and New River Bus Accident

The tour bus was carrying members from the popular Grammy-nominated group, Karen Peck and the New River, which is based out of Dahlonega.

The bus accident occurred near the Dawson County outlet mall in the northbound lanes of Georgia 400 just north of Dawson Forest Road at about 10:30 a.m. right in front of the Chick-fil-A restaurant.

An elderly driver of a Tacoma pickup truck, traveling southbound on 400, turned left across the divided highway into a retail establisment and crashed into the tour bus. The tour bus was travelling in the northbound lanes and was unable to avoid the collision.

The truck driver, who was critically injured in the crash and one of the passengers of the tour bus were transported to the hospital for treatment. Four other people from the bus, including Karen Peck, were treated at the scene.

The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Meabon L. Sanner, 75 years old, from Forsyth County, GA.

The driver of the tour bus was Rickey Gooch, the road manager and sound technician for the musical group.

When medical personnel arrived at the scene, Sanner was unconscious and unresponsive.

In an article in the GainesvilleTimes.com website, director of Dawson County Emergency Services, Billy Thurmond, said that Sanner received head injuries and was in “very critical condition.”

According to Thurmond, Sanner was being airlifted by life flight helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center but when his conditioned worsened so they made an emergency stop at North Fulton Regional Hospital.

The passenger on the tour bus who was also injured in the collision was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Although her name was not released by authorities, there was a note at the Karen Peck and New River website that the person who was injured was Dawn Hughes, who had broken her finger in the accident.

Below is a Google street view of the section of Georgia State Route 400 in front of the Chick-fil-A restaurant where the accident occurred. You can click the mouse and drag it around to get a full 360° view of the area.
View Larger Map

All traffic lanes on the highway were closed while crews cleared the wreckage. The roadway was closed for about an hour and was reopened by noon.

The accident is currently under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.


Published by Atlanta Georgia truck accident lawyer Fried Goldberg LLC, nationwide truck accident attorneys specializing in commercial truck injury law across the United States. For more information about Georgia trucking laws regarding buses, speak to an experienced Atlanta bus accident attorney for a free initial consultation at 1 (877) 591-1801

Read More

Get a Free Case Evaluation

Fill out the form below to contact our firm. One of our experienced attorneys is prepared to speak with you. Consultations are free and confidential.

Call Us 24/7
(404) 591 - 1800

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

chat icon