Are traffic accidents on the rise in Houston County? Sheriff’s Office responds

HOUSTON COUNTY — The amount of traffic related incidents in Houston County have stabilized over the past two years, but on Monday there were two traffic fatalities in one day. 

One occurred early Monday morning on Langston Road between Lake Joy Road and Highway 41. It was a single vehicle accident where 53-year-old Jermaine Salter lost his life. (The Houston County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating an allegation circulating on social media that claims Perry Police were chasing Salter and issued a “pit maneuver,” resulting in the traffic accident.) 

The second occurred Monday night on Highway 41 just south of Highway 96. 73-year-old John David West was walking in the middle of the road and was struck by a vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. 

Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton said two traffic deaths in one day is abnormal for Houston County. 

For the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Moulton said in 2025, they had 10 serious injuries or fatal crashes in the unincorporated areas of the county. Of those 10, three were fatal. 

So far in 2026, he said there have been nine crashes total with four being fatal. 

“The majority of our crashes do occur at intersections, and I think most [accidents] are a result of following too close or distracted driving,” he said. 

These intersections include: Russell Parkway and Moody Road, North Houston Road and Watson Boulevard and Watson Boulevard and Houston Lake Road. 

Moulton said recently they’ve seen more traffic fatalities at the Highway 41 and Watson Boulevard and Highway 41 and Highway 96 intersections. He said it may be caused by the speed in the area. Watson Boulevard is 45 miles-an-hour in that area. Highway 41’s speed limit is 55 miles-an-hour, the same as Highway 96 in that specific area.  

According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety traffic data, there were 3,854 crashes in 2024 with 85 resulting in serious injury. In the entirety of Houston County, there were 14 recorded traffic deaths in 2024. Moulton said he expects the numbers in 2025 to be about the same. 

There has been no data released for 2025. From 2020-2024, Moulton said there was an increase in traffic crashes in 2021 and 2022 due to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, 3,807 crashes were reported. The number spiked to 4,453 in 2021 then decreased a little to 4,176 in 2022. 

“During that time, we were limiting contact with the public and that affected traffic enforcement as well,” he said. “We weren’t as proactive during that time because of the pandemic. The traffic enforcement took a backseat.” 

The Sheriff’s Office has also seen trends. Commander of the Traffic Division, Lt. Michael Dixson said in an interview that rapid growth in the county plays a part in this data. 

“In 2023 and 2024, we see an increase of about 600 crashes. We believe that’s probably going to be an influx with our population in Houston County,” he said. 

Dixson said in 2024, 100% of drivers of passenger vehicles and SUVs involved in fatal crashes were not wearing seatbelts. In pickup trucks it was 50/50. 

Other trends in traffic deaths Dixson and the Sheriff’s Office have found included alcohol use and speeding. Four of the 14 traffic fatalities in 2024 were due to alcohol and seven were due to speeding. 

According to Dixson, the Sheriff’s Office must report crash data to GOHS every month. If GOHS sees a trend, then Houston County would start a specific enforcement based on that trend. These include speeding enforcement and a campaign called “Nothing but Seatbelts”. 

Moulton said the four components of these crashes are speed, seatbelt use, impaired driving and distracted driving. He said abiding by basic traffic rules and avoiding driving under the influence will greatly increase the likelihood of survival if one is involved in a car accident.