Man, 78, Dies in North Forsyth County Wreck

Authorities say a 78-year-old man died at the scene of a car accident Wednesday morning in north Forsyth County.

Lee Ansell Franklin, of Cumming, was traveling west around 9:20 a.m. in a 2001 black Lincoln Town Car on Browns Bridge Road (Highway 369) and Charleston Park Road, when he crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the fuel tank (also known as a saddle tank) of a semi-truck.

"It was the saddle tank on the driver's side," said Division Chief Kevin Wallace of the Forsyth County Fire Department. "Of course at that point and time we had about a 150-gallon fuel leak that we had to deal with."

The Georgia State Patrol said Franklin was fatally injured. The driver of the semi-truck was taken to Northside Hospital-Forsyth with non-life threatening injures.

All lanes of Browns Bridge Road were shutdown for four hours, according to GSP.

Wallace told Cumming Patch that the HAZMAT unit of the fire department was on the scene cleaning up the fuel spill.

"We were able to contain it [fuel] and absorb most of it with kitty litter, which is what we use as an absorbent," said Wallace.

No other details have been released as to what caused Franklin to cross into oncoming traffic.

You might also be interested in reading:

DeKalb Sergeant and Cumming Resident Charged With Aggravated Assault