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Thread: Joe Wrice (62) Killed by Reckless Driver

  1. #1
    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Joe Wrice (62) Killed by Reckless Driver

    On my cell and I apparently read my allotted number of articles for the month.
    https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/state-patrol-speeding-reckless-driving-lead-to-fatal-causeway-crash/article_59c09e3d-08ff-5b4d-9639-50f1cc77ba8b.html?fbclid=IwAR3sirRP5Jk3_Ro1UIgXb7n azsU-Cf3Ive_xZPGp2mcBzHXWTzlDFzQ_r28

    His Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049523745190

    I'm really interested in this accident, because I live in the area and have traveled on the causeway many times.
    I want to know what kind of emergency does someone have that gives them an excuse to weave in and out of traffic, travel on a bike path, and speed?!
    I haven't been able to find the reckless driver's name, but apparently it's this Jana's mother in law.
    https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000958133730
    R.I.P. Joe

  2. #2
    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    Wow, this happened 8am. Maybe she was suffering from some type of medical event? Seizure? Heart attack? Stroke? Insulin shock? She was in a 2011 Jaguar, speeding, running off the road (possibly to avoid other vehicles?), hitting signs and posts and side-swiping vehicles. That doesn't sound like "in a hurry" it sounds like "something is horribly wrong." Could also be mechanical - the infamous "Stuck Brake Defense." I don't know, but keep an eye/ear out for local updates on this one, CCat. Enquiring minds want to know...

    https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/lo...HXWTzlDFzQ_r28

    A 45-year-old woman was speeding excessively Thursday morning and driving recklessly on and off of the F.J. Torras Causeway when she rear-ended the back of a pickup truck, killing its driver, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

    Joseph Wrice, 62, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 8 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the causeway west of the Back River Bridge.

    State troopers say charges are pending against the woman, who was transported by ambulance to Southeast Georgia Health System?s Brunswick hospital.

    At least two other people suffered injuries in the crash, according to Brunswick police.

    Eastbound traffic was closed but later limited to one lane for several hours following the crash.

    Traffic on U.S. 17 was backed up beyond Parkwood Drive north of the causeway and to the Sidney Lanier Bridge to the south as law enforcement officers worked to clear the scene.

    Full eastbound traffic on the causeway was not reopened until about 12:17 p.m., according to a Glynn-Brunswick 911 dispatcher.

    Police said the woman was driving a 2011 Jaguar ?at a high rate of speed? when she drove off the roadway, the state patrol said.

    She passed several vehicles while driving on the shoulder and the adjacent exercise trail, the state patrol said.

    She also struck several road signs and vehicles.

    She then drove back up onto the roadway, striking the rear of Wrice?s 1995 Chevrolet Silverado, the state patrol said.

    The impact propelled the truck off the roadway and into a tree.

    The woman?s vehicle then veered off the road and struck several trees before coming to a stop.

    The state patrol?s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is investigating.
    You are talking to a woman who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.
    ...Collector of Chairs. Reader of Books. Hater of Nutmeg...

  3. #3
    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    When I see drivers speeding/weaving/cutting people off like assholes I always say to myself "I hope when they eventually wreck they only take themselves out". Too bad this didn't happen in this case.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Wow, it's surprising to me that she rear ended someone and that person died. It's usually the other way around.


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    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
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    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

  5. #5
    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Joe's obituary

    Joseph Wrice

    Mr. Joseph Wrice, Sr., of Brunswick died Thursday as a result of a automobile accident. Graveside services will be Tuesday at 11a.m. in Greenwood Cemetery. The family will have a walk-through viewing Monday from 4-7 p.m. in the chapel of L. W. Jackson and Family Mortuary. L. W. Jackson and Family Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements.

    The Brunswick News, August 3, 2020

    To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.
    Published in The Brunswick News on Aug. 3, 2020.
    Someone's posting on the local Facebook pages saying a Connie Calhoun is the driver of the jaguar.
    She is friends with Jana though Jana's last name is Steele. I assumed the mil's last name would be Steele also, but I guess marriages and divorces changes things.
    https://www.facebook.com/connie.campbellcalhoun

    There still hasn't been any news that I know of why this Connie person drove like a deranged maniac.

    As you can see from the photos (sorry for the large photos), the bike path is separated by grass from the main road. It's not right by the main road like a lot of bike paths.


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    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    Interesting that she hasn't been charged yet. I'm still betting on a medical event.
    You are talking to a woman who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.
    ...Collector of Chairs. Reader of Books. Hater of Nutmeg...

  7. #7
    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KimTisha View Post
    Interesting that she hasn't been charged yet. I'm still betting on a medical event.
    She was driving the wrong way for it to be medical imo.
    She was going towards the island and not towards mainland.
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

  8. #8
    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Apparently, I have to say something in order to post so here it goes.
    I hope they throw the book at this stupid ass Connie woman!


    GSP: Speeding recklessly on and off road led to causeway death
    By LARRY HOBBS lhobbs@thebrunswicknews.com Aug 6, 2020

    After turning east onto the F.J. Torras Causeway in morning rush-hour traffic July 30, the silver 2011 Jaguar XF launched into a mile-long high-velocity rampage with heedless disregard for fellow motorists, witnesses told Georgia State Patrol troopers.

    One of those motorists paid with his life, killed when the speeding Jaguar rear-ended his older model pickup and propelled it into a tree near the Back River Bridge, state troopers said.

    Joseph Wrice, 62, a beloved and gifted gardener, was driving his 1995 Chevrolet Silverado across the causeway for another day of work on St. Simons Island.


    A week later, charges have not been filed against the Jaguar’s driver, Connie Natasha Calhoun, the state patrol said. But the crash investigation remains open and the state patrol said charges are pending against the 45-year-old Glynn County resident.

    The News was waiting for charges to be filed to identify the driver, but her identity has been released by other media outlets.

    State Patrol reports released Wednesday paint a picture of a wildly reckless display of driving that led up to the deadly crash with Wrice’s truck. Witnesses told troopers that Calhoun pulled onto the right shoulder and exercise trail beside the roadway to pass vehicles at high speeds, side-swiping one vehicle in the process.

    State troopers said Calhoun was speeding when she zipped back onto the roadway at around 7:55 a.m., lost control and struck the back of Wrice’s truck.

    “After impact, (Wrice’s truck) traveled off the roadway to the right down an embankment striking a tree with its front,” a state patrol crash report stated.

    The Jaguar also went down the embankment, crossing a service road before running head-on into a palm tree. A passerby who helped Calhoun out of the car told troopers she was “dazed and confused and was stating she was hit from the rear,” the patrol’s incident report said.

    She was taken by ambulance to Southeast Georgia Health System’s Brunswick hospital where she was treated “for minor injury complaints,” the report said.

    Blood samples taken at the hospital from Calhoun are being tested for alcohol and drug content, the state patrol said. Results are pending.

    The impact left Wrice’s body trapped inside his crumpled pickup, the incident report said. Glynn County firefighters “cut the roof off the vehicle to remove the deceased,” the report said.

    Speeding, improper passing, reckless driving, following too close and “other” are listed as driving infractions that contributed to the tragedy, according to crash reports.

    Troopers talked to at least half a dozen witnesses.

    “Jaguar was traveling east on the F.J. Torras Causeway at a high rate of speed passing them,” trooper Christopher Rigby writes in the incident report. “One witness stated the Jaguar struck their vehicle approximately a mile before the fatal crash. ... The witness said the Jaguar was traveling on the sidewalk passing cars. Witnesses also stated the Jaguar came back onto the roadway striking the blue Chevrolet Silverado in the rear.”

    Moments earlier, a 42-year-old Darien woman who was driving a 2011 Hyundai Sonata in the outside lane said she looked over and saw the Jaguar passing her on the side of the road, according to the state patrol. State troopers said Calhoun sideswiped the Hyundai in the process, then ran over a speed limit sign.

    The woman in the Sonata pulled over. Neither she nor the 70-year-old woman riding with her was seriously hurt.

    Troopers said Calhoun “continued east and fled the scene” after striking the sign.



    Crash victim Wrice remembered for his gardening talents
    By LARRY HOBBS lhobbs@thebrunswicknews.com Aug 4, 2020

    Joseph Wrice used only rudimentary lawn tools in his work.

    But his vision for bringing the best out of God’s creation shone through ever-smiling eyes, producing some of the prettiest gardens folks ever saw on St. Simons Island and Sea Island.

    “He had a shovel, a rake and some clippers maybe,” said Sharon Flores, who watched Wrice work his magic at her St. Simons Island residence through two decades. “No power tools. Everything was by hand. He was an artist with gardens. He designed gardens, planted them, tended them. I doubt Joe ever owned a power tool. But he had a twinkle in his eye, always.”


    Tragically, that spark of gardening genius burned out Thursday morning in a senseless crash in eastbound rush hour traffic on the F.J. Torras Causeway. Georgia State Patrol troopers said a 45-year-old woman speeding excessively and driving recklessly rear-ended Wrice’s 1995 Chevrolet Silverado, propelling the pickup truck off the road and into a tree near the Back River Bridge. Wrice, 62, died at the scene.

    The state patrol said the woman drove on and off the road at high speeds, striking other vehicles and street signs before slamming into the back of Wrice’s truck. The woman also crashed into trees and was taken by ambulance to Southeast Georgia Health System’s Brunswick hospital.

    The state patrol said charges are pending against the woman. The News is not releasing the woman’s name until the state patrol investigation is over and charges are filed.

    Meanwhile, folks across the Golden Isles are mourning Wrice’s passing.

    Wrice started working as a young man with the landscaping crew at the Sea Island Resort, spending numerous years there before striking out on his own. He quickly developed a growing clientele among homeowners on St. Simons Island and Sea Island.

    Among those was Anne Whittle of St. Simons Island. Gardens flourished under his care, no doubt. But Wrice also had a knack for getting the best to blossom in people too.

    “You can’t imagine how loved this man was,” Whittle said. “He had more friends than anybody I know. He knew more about plants than anyone in the world. He was truly a fantastic and loving man.”

    When Flores moved here 15 years ago, Wrice had already been tending the garden at that address for the previous owner. Flores did not have to look twice before deciding to keep him on, she said.

    “We just expanded the garden,” she said.

    At least one or more of the gardens Wrice tended was sure to be featured in the Cassina Garden Club’s annual Tabby and Tillandsia Garden Walk, Flores said.

    “He wasn’t like the mow and blow people,” she said. “People wanted him to build their garden and then take care of it for them. He was truly one of the special, special people.”

    Former client Janet Shirley, Flores and other of Wrice’s clients started a GoFundMe page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/bw68cv-in...iend-joe-wrice) over the weekend, hoping to help with funeral expenses and to assist his widow, Jocetta Wrice. The fund had raised nearly $7,000 by Monday afternoon.

    “The outpouring of thanks has been great,” Flores said. “It’s been a huge help for the family.”

    On Monday, Jared Wrice was recalling a father who taught valuable life lessons through the examples he set. His faith in God, his devotion to family, and his satisfaction in a job done well were the things he valued most.

    As a youngster working beside his father, Jared learned that power gardening tools were no substitute for a keen eye and patience when it came to trimming a hedge or pruning a bush.

    “He told me, ‘We don’t need to come in here with string line; it’s all about body language,’” Jared Wrice, 39, recalled with a chuckle. “He focused on one thing and made that work in so many ways. He was a heartfelt man, and that’s what I took from my time with him. That’s what I learned.”

    There will be a graveside service at 11 a.m. today at Greenwood Cemetery, 3301 Newcastle St., in Brunswick.

    In addition to Jared and his wife, Wrice is survived by another son, Joseph Wrice, Jr., and five grandchildren.

    “He was a man of integrity,” Jocetta Wrice said. “He loved Jesus and he loved people. He did not just do the people’s yards. They had relationships. He didn’t want much. But he was dedicated to his job, his church, his family and his friends.”
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/lo...23c9ee3db.html

    Woman charged with vehicular homicide in causeway crash
    By LARRY HOBBS lhobbs@thebrunswicknews.com 2 hrs ago

    State troopers issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for Connie Calhoun, charging her with vehicular homicide in connection with the mile-long high-speed driving frenzy on the F.J. Torras Causeway July 30 that ended with the death of a local gardener.

    In addition to felony vehicular homicide, the warrant charges Calhoun with hit and run, following too close, passing on the right shoulder, reckless driving, failure to maintain a lane and speeding, said Georgia State Patrol Sgt. 1st Class Chad Gray.

    Calhoun, 45, of Glynn County has been made aware of the warrant, he said. She had until 5:45 p.m. Tuesday to turn herself in at the Glynn County Detention Center, Gray said. As of press time Tuesday, Calhoun had not turned herself in, according to Glynn County Undersheriff Ron Corbett.


    According to state troopers, Calhoun allegedly reached speeds of up to 105 mph in her 2011 Jaguar XF after turning eastbound onto the F.J Torras Causeway from the mainland at around 7:55 a.m. She allegedly swerved off the road and onto the shoulder and adjacent bike path.

    Troopers said she sideswiped a 2011 Hyundai while passing on the shoulder of the road, then struck a speed limit sign, then continued speeding down the shoulder of the road.

    Calhoun allegedly lost control while trying to drive back onto the causeway, smashing into the back of a 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Joseph Wrice, 62, a popular gardener who was on his way to work on St. Simons Island.

    Wrice?s truck was propelled off an embankment near the Back River Bridge and into a tree. He died at the scene.

    Calhoun?s vehicle followed down the embankment and crashed into a palm tree.

    She was taken by ambulance to Southeast Georgia Health System?s Brunswick hospital where she was treated ?for minor injury complaints? and released, the state patrol said.

    ?We?re giving her an opportunity to turn herself in at the jail,? Gray said Tuesday. ?She knows she has an active warrant.?

    Brunswick Attorney Page Pate said Tuesday he is representing Calhoun in this case. He said Calhoun was not impaired by drugs or alcohol during the incident.

    Pate said he suspects Calhoun had a medical episode that caused her actions.

    "We know she's had problems in the past with diabetes and high blood pressure," he said. "We're reviewing her medical records to determine what may have caused this."

    Also Tuesday, Brunswick lawyer Roy Boyd said he had been retained to represent Wrice?s family in a potential wrongful death legal action.

    ?Mr. Wrice was a wonderful man and a legend in landscaping around here,? Boyd said. ?Our firm has been sought to represent the estate of Joseph Wrice concerning this wrongful death. We have been interviewing witnesses and are investigating all potential claims.?
    I can't believe they released this woman. She could cause more mayhem. If she doesn't turn herself in, I hope they find her and throw the book at her.
    No wonder they're calling for disbandment of the Glynn County Police Department. They're a joke!
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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