Dawson driver recounts Walnut Street collapse after months of complaints about road conditions

DAWSON — Curtis Jackson knows he needs his car. But after a section of Walnut Street collapsed beneath his vehicle Friday, trapping him inside and sending him to the hospital, his first concern is getting himself well.

“I know I need my car,” Jackson said during an interview Monday. “But right now we’re thinking about me.”

His priority, he said, is to “get myself back together.”

City Manager Roxie Powell said Monday that Public Works crews had repaired a water leak at the location Wednesday, Sept. 23, and filled the work area with dirt while waiting for the ground to settle before applying asphalt. The same water line subsequently broke at a different point, she said, softening the surrounding soil.

“Unfortunately, the same water line experienced another break in a different location,” Powell said in a written response. “As a result of the water leakage, the soil in the area became soft.”

The Sept. 25 incident left Jackson’s vehicle lodged in a water-filled opening in the street. He was taken by ambulance to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, and a tow truck later removed his car.

Speaking with the Dawson News three days later, Jackson described the moment the car suddenly dropped into a deep hole filled with water, where supporting soil should have been.

“The dirt was gone from up underneath there,” he said. “Wasn’t nothing but water there; the tire wasn’t even touching anything, just hanging there.”

Jackson said he was traveling no more than about 30 mph and had moved around another car before encountering the hole. He described its location as near the yellow line dividing the roadway.

He confirmed that he could not open his door after the vehicle became stuck.

Dawson firefighters, Terrell County sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical personnel responded. Residents living near the hole said Jackson has a disability and uses a walker. They also said city crews had attempted repairs at the location just days earlier, but conditions quickly deteriorated.

“Based on the information currently available to the city, the vehicle became stuck after the driver encountered the area while attempting to avoid another vehicle that was parked along the side of the roadway,” she said.

Powell said crews have since repaired the line again, filled the affected area with dirt and placed barrels around the work area to warn drivers while the soil settles.

“Public Works is continuing to monitor the site for any additional settling,” she said. “The city will acquire asphalt to permanently repair the affected area once the ground has adequately stabilized.”

Her response did not provide a date for the permanent repair or say whether warning devices were in place before Friday’s incident.

For Jackson, the experience has left concerns that extend beyond retrieving the car. He described the seat belt as being “right around my neck” during the incident.

“I didn’t know that a seatbelt would do you like that,” he said.

The extent of his injuries and the time he will need to recover have not been established. Neither has the extent of damage to his vehicle or how repairs will be handled. Powell’s response did not address assistance with Jackson’s medical expenses or vehicle repairs.

The incident followed months of public discussion about road conditions, deteriorating properties and whether the city has the resources and equipment to address them.

At the City Council’s June 11 meeting, former Dawson Mayor Ada Lemons-McIntyre urged officials to make street repairs a priority, warning that potholes were damaging tires and knocking vehicles out of alignment. She said residents were still discussing problems raised during her time in office in 2019 and 2020.

Lemons-McIntyre pointed to Orange Street, Third Avenue and 10th Avenue, describing stretches where drivers had to weave around damaged pavement.

“We are citizens; we pay taxes,” she told the council.

Other speakers, including Patrick Holloway, Kathy Hicks and Veronica Johnson, raised concerns about ordinance enforcement, neglected properties and neighborhood conditions. Residents identified problems at East Lee Street properties and called for a coordinated meeting involving city officials and community organizations to turn repeated complaints into action.

Mayor Robert Aaron responded that pothole repairs depended on asphalt availability, suitable weather and the city’s ability to transport material.

“Whenever we can buy asphalt, we will,” Aaron said.

He explained that the city lacked the hauling capacity to obtain large quantities and needed to place asphalt soon after collecting it. Rain also limited when crews could work. Aaron asked residents to report locations to City Hall so the city could prioritize the most severe holes. He said broader street paving would require additional funding.

Road repairs returned to the council’s discussion July 9. Aaron said the Public Works report listed identified potholes and completed repairs, and that residents should report streets missing from the work list.

When a council member asked how 11 potholes had been repaired, a Public Works representative said crews had cleaned and packed the holes but lacked equipment to dig them out completely.

Equipment availability has been a recurring issue. Earlier Dawson News reporting examined the city’s disposal of surplus equipment and its inoperable mini excavator, including missing repair records and officials’ statements that the city lacked functioning equipment for certain utility work.

The council voted unanimously July 9 to purchase a replacement excavator using T-SPLOST funds, the transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax.

During that discussion, Powell said replacing the old machine’s engine and other components could cost approximately $30,000. New machines were quoted at approximately $54,700 to $68,000, depending on size, and would carry a three-year warranty.

Powell said Southern Sales had advised that the damaged excavator could be declared surplus and sold for an estimated $15,000, with proceeds returned to the T-SPLOST account. That figure was an estimate, not a completed sale.

Council members questioned equipment maintenance, operator training and accountability for damage. One requested an inventory of city equipment, while Powell discussed training for designated operators and employee acknowledgment of equipment-use policies.

Powell’s response Monday did not address whether the replacement excavator has been delivered and put into service or what equipment crews used on Walnut Street.

At the July meeting, council members also revisited efforts to address blighted properties. City Attorney Tommy Coleman said roughly two dozen properties were under review and explained that the process required identifying and notifying owners, heirs and others with a legal interest before pursuing court action.

Those discussions concerned broader maintenance and enforcement problems. They do not establish whether equipment limitations contributed to the Walnut Street incident.

Powell said the city also plans to address potholes throughout Dawson as part of its ongoing road maintenance efforts.

Jackson, meanwhile, said he did not know whether officials were aware of the hazard before his car became trapped.

“I don’t know if they knew or not,” he said. “I can’t say either way.”

For now, his attention remains on recovering.

“However long it takes, I just need to get myself back together,” he said.