Sylvester woman struck and killed by auto while trying to save dog

SYLVESTER — A Sylvester woman was struck and killed along Georgia Highway 313 Saturday night while trying to save a dog in the road, according to officials with the Georgia State Patrol.

Peyton R. Hawk, 22, parked and exited her vehicle about eight miles north of Calhoun Road in Worth County and attempted to rescue an injured dog lying in the roadway, GSP reports indicate. She was struck by an elderly man who had an 8-year-old child in the vehicle he was driving.

“Vehicle No. 1, driven by Alvin Harris Calhoun, 73, was traveling southbound on Georgia 313, north of Calhoun Road,” the GSP report said. “A pedestrian (Hawk) exited a parked vehicle that was partially in the roadway on the northbound side of Georgia 313, north of Calhoun Road. The pedestrian darted in the west direction and came to a stop in the center of the roadway. Vehicle No. 1 traveled toward the center of the roadway and struck the pedestrian with its front end.”

According to the report, Hawk was thrown more than 100 feet from the point of impact.

“After impact, the pedestrian came to a final rest off the east shoulder of the roadway approximately 112 feet from the area of impact,” the report said.

According to GSP Trooper David Fretwell, a group of ATVs had been traveling in the area and struck a dog prior to the accident. Hawk, Fretwell wrote in the report, attempted to save the animal from oncoming traffic in front of at least 20 witnesses.

“Approximately 20 ATVs were traveling south on Georgia 313, and one of those vehicles struck a dog,” Fretwell said in the report. “The dog was in the roadway with severe injuries. The pedestrian (Hawk) stopped and exited the vehicle to check on the dog. The pedestrian quickly exited the vehicle and failed to yield to oncoming traffic. Vehicle No. 1 traveled to the center of the roadway because ATVs were on both shoulders of the road. The dog was deceased upon arrival of the trooper.”

Hawk was pronounced deceased at the scene.