December 11th, 2022 – 3:55 PM
Staff Reports –
December 14th update:
According to a report by the Gordon Gazette and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, 50-year-old William Bryan Abernathy of Calhoun was released from the hospital and booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center on Tuesday night. He is being charged with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, serious injury by vehicle, and reckless driving in connection to a 4-vehicle wreck that occurred on Saturday and took the lives of the Mayor of Emerson and his wife. Abernathy, who has recently been a teacher in the Gordon community, is being held without bond.
Previous Report on December 11th:
A Calhoun man has been arrested in connection to a wreck that took the lives of the Emerson Georgia Mayor and his wife. According to information from the Cherokee County Georgia Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a four-car accident on Knox Bridge Hwy east of Fields Landing Road on Saturday afternoon at approximately 4 pm. Preliminary indications are that a Chevrolet pickup truck traveling east on Knox Bridge Hwy. lost control and crossed the centerline striking a Hyundai Santa Fe traveling westbound. That collision caused the Hyundai to lose control, overturn and travel into the eastbound lane where it was struck by a GMC Savanna van traveling eastbound. The driver of the Hyundai, Albert Pallone, age 65 of Emerson, died at the scene. His wife and passenger, Camillia Pallone, age 69 of Emerson, also died at the scene. The driver of the Mazda 3 and the driver of the GMC Savanna were transported to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet pickup, William Bryan Abernathy, 50 of Calhoun, was arrested and charged with DUI, Reckless Driving, First Degree Vehicular Homicide, and Serious Injury by Vehicle. Abernathy was also injured and is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed local hospital.