Local & State Headlines

Woman killed in mower wreck

• An Americus woman is killed when her riding mower overturns on her Tuesday.

J.D. Sumner

AMERICUS — The executive director of the Sumter Humane Society was found dead Tuesday after being crushed by her riding lawnmower, authorities say.

Jacklyn Sue “Jackie” Sellers, 58, was mowing grass near her mailbox in Sumter County Tuesday morning, Coroner Greg Hancock said, when she failed to negotiate a ditch, causing her mower to fall onto her. He said she was killed instantly.

Sellers wasn’t cut by the machine, but died instead from trauma sustained from the fall, Hancock said.

“It was just a freak thing,” Hancock said. “She was mowing near the ditch and it tumbled onto her with the deck in the air.”

Sheriff’s deputies were called out to the home when friends failed to reach her. They discovered her pinned beneath the mower, Hancock said.

Hancock said Sellers’ body will not have to go to a State Crime Lab since there is no real question about the events that caused her death.

Sellers’ family live out of state and had been notified by Tuesday afternoon, he said.

Earlier this year, Sellers was a key figure in helping local police investigate the theft of several dogs from the shelter that had been seized by police as evidence in ongoing drug and dogfighting investigations.

In March, five dogs were stolen from the shelter, including rottweilers and pit bulls that had been seized during an investigation by a joint Americus, Sumter Drug Squad. The Humane Society of the United States issued a reward in the case.