Additional Details Surrounding Silvers’ Fatal Accident Surface
News March 5, 2019
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – New discoveries have surfaced surrounding the death of Terry Samuel Silvers, a 52 year old Hiawassee resident who was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 23, in Clay County, N.C. Additional witnesses have come forth on Silvers’ behalf, attesting to Silvers’ condition on the evening preceding his death. Furthermore, FYN uncovered the circumstances surrounding the unresponsive, emergency call issued to Towns County Sheriff’s Office the following night.
FYN released information three days after Silvers’ passing, exposing that Silvers had been involved in a vehicle accident on Bugscuffle Road in Towns County, the night prior to the fatal crash. Towns County Sheriff’s Office’s accident report, which was submitted to FYN by a third-party, stated that alcohol and substance screenings were not conducted by law enforcement Feb. 22. FYN since learned that alcohol testing was, in fact, administered to Silvers by the responding deputy.
Terry Silvers was traveling south on Bugscuffle Road when his vehicle entered into the oncoming lane of traffic, colliding with a roadside fence. The accident report states that shifting firewood in the bed of Silvers’ truck contributed to the collision. FYN contacted the owner of the property damaged in the incident, Daren “Bear” Osborn, a veteran law enforcement officer from a neighboring county.
Most recent social media profile photograph of Terry Silvers
Osborn told FYN that he was present when Towns County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene, and asserted that despite alcohol testing conducted on the now-deceased, Silvers, in his observation, should not have been behind the wheel Feb. 22.
“I didn’t smell alcohol, but based on my training and experience, 32 years, I recognized (Terry) was in no shape to drive due to his condition,” the off-duty deputy explained, “What strikes me as odd is that an alco sensor and HGN was done which does not indicate drug use.” Osborn described Silvers as exhibiting confused behavior while showing evident signs of impaired judgment.
“Alco sensors” are commonly known as breathalizers. HGN, horizantal gaze nystagmus, is a standardized field sobriety test for alcohol-induced impairment.
John Bagley, Osborn’s neighbor, agreed that Silvers was unfit to drive. “(Terry) wrecked right across from my house,” Bagley said. “He was in no shape to be driving. I think there should have been additional tests done. It could have saved his life.”
Throughout the week following Silvers’ death, FYN spoke with over a dozen individuals who relayed that Silvers was a known opioid user with a long history of accidents. Family, friends, and neighbors claimed that Silvers had been released by Towns County Sheriff’s Office on multiple occasions without facing charges.
Terra Silvers, the daugter of Terry Silvers, contacted FYN through our website. “My father, Terry Silvers, had to lose his life due to lack of effort on behalf of Towns County Sheriff’s Office…,” Silvers wrote, “It’s just not fair. They are to protect and serve, but instead they want to let those that are under the influence go. All I can say is I’m really going to miss my dad. He was a good man, respectful, and would help anyone with anything he could. He didn’t deserve this.”
Numerous, additional family members, citizens, and unaffiliated law enforcement officers relayed that Terry Silvers was known to suffer from addiction, with many adding that Silvers’ case was not an isolated incident. One citizen shared her thoughts in the comment section of a previous article published by FYN. “Sad, but there are so many more examples of the TCSO (Towns County Sheriff’s Office) being ‘easy’ on local addicts…,” the remark reads.
On Feb. 23, the evening following the Bugscuffle Road accident, Silvers was traveling west of Hiawassee on Highway 76, when a good samaritan placed a 911 call to Towns County emergency dispatch upon witnessing a white Toyota pickup truck driving recklessly. Heather Segars, a local resident, pursued whom she soon identified as Silvers. pleading for law enforcement to respond to the turned-fatal incident.
As Segars followed Silvers into the parking lot of Cornerstore BP, a gas station at the intersection of Highway 76 and Highway 17, a siren can be heard in the 911 audio, passing the distraught caller. FYN learned that Towns County Sheriff’s Office was responding to a possible prowler off Highway 75, the road that leads to Helen, GA. Two officers had arrived on scene at the residence on Clark Drive at the time the be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) was issued to Towns County Sheriff’s Office. The initial, responding officers cleared the residence, with no disturbance found.
After deliberation and close consultation with the Silvers’ family, along with conversations with the traumatized 911 caller, FYNTV.com released the Feb. 23 emergency audio to allow the public to hear the disturbing interaction firsthand. The Silvers’ family and good samaritan maintain that Towns County Sheriff’s Office could have prevented the Feb. 23 fatality. FYNTV attached a recording of a phone call between a Towns County Sheriff’s Office deputy and the 911 dispatcher that took place shortly after the deadly crash occurred, revealing the Towns County deputy chastising the dispatcher for issuing the BOLO.
FYN contacted Towns County Sheriff’s Office prior to the release of previous articles pertaining to Terry Silvers’ death, offering opportunity to issue a statement on behalf of the department. Towns County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to FYN’s request.
13 Comments
As a retired 911 dispatcher, I can attest that a dispatcher can only work with what is available. If there are no other officers to send she can only notify the next jurisdiction, which she did. The officer that called her after the fact was pompous and demeaning to her without a clue as to what was going on. The dispatcher acted in a professional manner throughout the entire call while communicating with multiple agencies, services, hysterical caller, and an unbelievably rude (after the fact) cop. Good job dispatcher!!!
This is awful news to hear.. knowing your father would not have lost his life if local law enforcement officers would have done there job.. They are all to blame in so many ways for my father’s death.. and if they let something like this happen it seems to me like they will let anything go on… this tragic accident has been very hard for me my brother and other members of the family.. it just doesn’t make since to me really… but I do know that my daddy could have been saved if the local law would have responded and did there jobs properly… I know me and the family is having it hard finding closer in our lose of dad… There’s just a lot of unanswered questions and things that should have been different… we will always miss you dad… we love you forever and always….
Some things are best left unsaid! Prayers for the family.
I understand TCSO could have done more to assist with this matter, but why are we blaming them? Mr. Silvers shouldn’t have been driving under the influence. Praying for the family.
I am so sorry for your lost Terra my prayers are with you n the family.
The entire situation is tragic but if it had of been me & I would of known the man i would of done my best to take his keys, or offer him a ride home, you can hear the woman tell him he almost ran her off the road & as him if he was ok he tells her he is but she can clearly see he is not so my question is she is the one right in front of him at that moment why not try to get the keys or something she knew him??? But every one wants to blame the dispatcher and the cops I’m really not getting it…. The whole thing is messed up the man made a huge mistake that cost him his life everyone lost in this I feel we need to pray for all involved and stop blaming each other, the dispatcher didn’t make him drink, the cops didn’t make him drink & that woman Panicked so it was a horrifying night for all involved May God give this family some peace through this very difficult time…
So you are saying that this lady should have tried to take the keys away from a man who was obviously intoxicated? Have you never been around some one who is high? Now I’m not saying that Terry would have been violent but as a woman I’m not willing to take a chance on getting attacked for doing something that our worthless ass cops should have been doing to begin with. If they had done their job the night before then I highly doubt this would have ever happened. So who is to blame again?
I agree, my sister had to flee to Texas BECAUSE of her baby daddy trying to kill her. He was arrested finally and had meth (felony) and resisted arrest (felony) and family violence. This was after numerous attempts over several months my sister called the cops for domestic abuse and towns county did NOTHING. I pray they get it together.
Good reporting! The public has a right to know.
I truly think that towns county police officers need to get there priorities right. If a 911 call would have been made that involved sum big wig in this county with the right last name, every cop in towns county would have been there. More shuld have been done then putting a bolo out. Heather was begging for over 15 mins for help. That is absolutely ridiculous. And then after you listen to the actual 911 call at the very end when a deputy called dispatch, he was a complete and total jerk. All the law can talk about is his drug use or what he did in the past and none of that should matter. He was a human being that needed the help of the police force cause poor Heather couldn’t do everything. It’s a total shame this happened when it could have been prevented.. GET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT….
I am not a local and I never wanted to be but I have been arrested not ticked for 7 mph over on Denton straight and my motorcycle road to impound ! I have been pulled over in hiawassee for going 10 mph less than speed limit and wrote up for driving with no hands on bars and reckless driving plus my tag had run out so he had my motorcycle towed! On neather occasion was I drinking or drugged up! A couple of nights ago I was stopped and wrote up for no light on my tag but I did have lights on tag Officer blue plate thinks he is messing with me but I am having so much fun
I think the deputy that called 911 after the fact should have some consequences for his attitude his attitude was very unprofessional and disrespectful they thought out saving someone’s personal belongings was more important than saving someone’s life I would like for whoever is in charge of this to contact me I also have evidence of the night prior to Terry‘s death towns County sheriffs department has really dropped the ball and we all know they will get away with it because that is just the way it works up here in the mountains a man lost his life Because of their negligence we cannot bring Terry back but hopefully we can prevent this from happening to another good man he would do anything for anybody
Oh my Lord I’m just setting here shaking I can’t believe what I just heard why why did this man have to loose his life someone needs to go to jail I’m so sorry so so sorry