Horst Shewmaker, LLC has released an analysis of the crash-concentration patterns along Augusta's Bobby Jones Expressway and its interchange network, drawing attention to newly examined data showing that Interstate 520 was involved in 901 of 1,785 documented Augusta car accidents — more than half of all vehicle collisions in the city — according to data compiled by M. Austin Jackson Injury Lawyers from Augusta crash reporting systems. The firm's review follows a fatal single-vehicle crash three weeks ago on the ramp from Interstate 20 westbound to Bobby Jones Expressway, in which the Richmond County Coroner's Office identified the driver as Marcellus Ponder, 35, of Augusta, who was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:46 a.m., according to WJBF News Channel 6.

The expressway's high-speed design, its multiple commercial interchange points at Gordon Highway, Deans Bridge Road, Wrightsboro Road, and Peach Orchard Road, and its role as Augusta's primary east-west connector between I-20 and the South Carolina border produce the speed-differential conditions associated with Richmond County's highest crash concentrations. The interchange at Deans Bridge Road and Bobby Jones Expressway recorded 816 crashes between 2018 and 2022 — an average of more than 100 collisions per year, with at least five serious-injury crashes and two fatalities — according to Safe Roads USA crash data. Nearly 60 additional crashes occur annually at the Gordon Highway and Bobby Jones Expressway interchange, while the Washington Road and Interstate 20 interchange accounts for approximately 22 percent of all documented Augusta car accidents.

Augusta recorded 84 suspected serious-injury crashes in 2025, according to data compiled by Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys, with I-20, Bobby Jones Expressway, Gordon Highway, Washington Road, Peach Orchard Road, and Wrightsboro Road identified as the city's primary high-crash corridors serving commuters, commercial traffic, Augusta National Golf Club visitors, and cross-border travelers.

The firm's analysis also examines Georgia Senate Bill 68, signed April 21, 2025, which codified restrictions on non-economic damages anchoring in civil jury trials under O.C.G.A. § 9-10-184. The provision prohibits attorneys from suggesting a specific dollar figure for pain, suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life in opening statement without a good-faith basis. For Augusta car accident victims, this means documentation of non-economic harm — medical records, psychological evaluations, and personal-impact testimony — must be developed from the first emergency room visit rather than assembled during trial preparation.

Jarrett L. Miller, Attorney at Horst Shewmaker, LLC, addressed the change. "Before SB 68, an attorney could stand up in opening statement and anchor the jury's thinking about non-economic damages with a specific number," Miller said. "Under O.C.G.A. § 9-10-184, that is now restricted unless there is a documented good-faith basis in the file. For a Bobby Jones Expressway crash victim, that means the record showing how the injury affected daily function, employment, and relationships has to exist from the first client contact. The firm builds that non-economic evidence record from day one, because it is the foundation SB 68 now requires."

As an Augusta Car Accident Lawyer practice serving Richmond County and the CSRA, Horst Shewmaker, LLC represents crash victims in Richmond County State Court and Superior Court.

Horst Shewmaker, LLC is a BBB-accredited personal injury law firm based in Alpharetta, Georgia, representing car accident victims throughout Augusta, Richmond County, the CSRA, North Fulton County, and Metro Atlanta. The firm's five attorneys have recovered more than $30 million for clients in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, and other personal injury matters and have been recognized as Best of Georgia 2025. All cases are handled on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs. Additional information is available from the Horst Shewmaker Augusta Car Accident Lawyer team on the firm's website.

###

For more information about Horst Shewmaker, LLC Augusta, contact the company here:

Horst Shewmaker, LLC Augusta
Michael Horst
7065285920
info@horstshewmaker.com
930 Stevens Creek Rd Suite 1, Augusta, GA 30907