Sheriff’s wife blames victim’s brother for fatal crash
News January 14, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The death of Terry Silvers, a Hiawassee resident who was killed in a fatal accident early last year, appears fresh in the minds of many Towns County citizens as the 2020 sheriff’s campaign cycle advances. Mark Silvers, the brother of the famed victim, responded to an announcement of Cpl. Lisa Joseph‘s bid for sheriff, connecting the candidate to her husband, Cpl. Greg Joseph, the Towns County deputy who drew widespread media attention due to his involvement, or lack thereof, in Silvers’ tragic death.
The deadly crash, which many believe could have been prevented by the Towns County Sheriff’s Office, left a 911 caller who witnessed the accident emotionally scarred, and a grandmother and grandchild injured.
Click for Terry Silvers’ archives
In response to Mark Silvers’ disapproval of Deputy Lisa Joseph’s candidacy, Crystal Clinton – the wife of retiring Towns County Sheriff Chris Clinton – lashed out on FYN’s social media, holding the victim’s grieving brother accountable for Terry Silvers’ demise. “Why didn’t you stop him? YOU are the person responsible for his death,” the sheriff’s wife emphasized. Members of the victim’s family, as well as others, reacted with shock to the elected official wife’s callous remark, telling FYN that the comment caused anguish.
Ms. Clinton caused a similar reaction from Silvers’ family and friends in November, changing her social media profile image to a photograph of the victim, adding that it was meant for those so “concerned.”
The sheriff’s wife changed her profile picture to that of Terry Silvers, causing the victim’s family what they described as further grief.
Furthermore, Ms. Clinton referenced a live interview conducted by FYN with Mark Silvers shortly after his brother’s death. During the interview, Silvers stated that while he knew that his brother was in no condition to drive on the evening of his death, and advised him not to leave the residence, his now-deceased brother was defiant. “I figured if I called the law on him, they’d let him go again,” Silvers told FYN last spring, referencing multiple occasions that the sheriff’s office had released his drug-addicted sibling without charges.
Click to hear interview with Mark Silvers
This is not the first time that Sheriff Clinton’s wife has made headlines, however, with Ms. Clinton falsely accusing an appointed official of being a convicted felon last fall, along with defamatory allegations fired at a contender in the sheriff’s race.
Click for Crystal Clinton archive
Furthermore, numerous individuals – some of whom served as officers under Sheriff Clinton’s leadership – have questioned the agenda of two Towns County sheriff deputies who have recently announced candidacy for Office of Sheriff in the 2020 election. While both candidates have received support, others believe that their bid may be an extension of the retiring sheriff’s ruffled reign, with Ms. Clinton’s recent outburst seemingly solidifying the concept in their minds.
On Jan. 13, FYN requested an interview with Towns County Capt. Jim Couch, who announced his bid for sheriff last week. The sheriff’s candidate declined, stating that he did not want to “get in the middle” of unrelated controversy surrounding the highly-contested sheriff’s race at this time. Towns County Cpl. Lisa Joseph has not responded to FYN’s invitation to interview.
Sheriff’s candidate Linda Curtis expressed disapproval over the handling of the Silvers’ case by the agency during a Jan. 7 conversation with FYN, recalling that the Towns County Sheriff’s Office did not accept responsibility for their role in the incident nor alter its policies thereafter. Curtis added that Heather Cassidy Segars – the 911 caller who faced an online attack from Ms. Clinton following the notorious 2019 accident – should be “commended” for her heroic attempt to prevent the fatal collision.
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UPDATED: One dead, one wounded in fiery crash
News November 23, 2019
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – First responders from Towns County and White County were dispatched shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, to what proved to be a fatal crash occurring on State Route 75 South in the vicinity of Unicoi Gap.
The minivan involved in the incident was reported to FYN as located off an east embankment and fully engulfed in flames at the time firefighters arrived on the scene, forcing extrication and a temporary road closure.
One patient was transported via ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for trauma care. A second victim sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident.
The deadly crash is under investigation by Georgia State Patrol.
FYN is awaiting additional information, including the identity of the deceased, from authorities at this time.
UPDATE: The driver of the 2003 Town and County Chrysler minivan was identified as Leisa Johnson, 62, of Macon, GA. Johnson was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries for emergency care. Passenger Ralph Doolittle, 58, of Macon, sadly perished on scene.
State Route 75 South extends through Towns and White counties, connecting the cities of Helen and Hiawassee while rising to an elevation of 2,949 feet.
Unicoi Gap was the approximate site of an Oct. 16 motor vehicle accident that resulted in the death of an 83-year-old Hiawassee resident.
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Victim and 911 caller involved in deadly crash recall fateful night
Investigative Report, News March 8, 2019
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – It has been a day shy of two weeks since a fatal accident took the life of Hiawassee resident Terry Silvers, and FYN has been on special assignment, tracking developments in the tragic case. A grandmother and her granddaughter continue to suffer heartbreaking effects of the deadly crash, and a good samaritan who heroically attempted to prevent the harm faces the lingering aftermath of that horrific night.
Heather Segars, the 911 caller heard pleading for help in disturbing audio released by FYN, met in person with Towns County’s reporter on March 8.
Segars recounted the graphic detail of Feb. 23, a night that remains all too vivid in her mind. Segars said that she was traveling home from work on State Route 76, west of Hiawassee, when she was nearly run off the road by a white Toyota pickup truck. The soft spoken woman was visibly shaken as she described the intense fear experienced that eventful Saturday night. Segars has since entered psychological therapy, and relayed that she has been prescribed a mild sedative in order to help cope with the trauma.
Segars continues to suffer deep guilt, and said that she cannot help but wonder if she had not identified the impaired driver as Terry Silvers, perhaps Towns County Sheriff’s Office would have responded to her call. “I want people to know that I tried,” Segars said in a somber tone. “If Towns County Sheriff’s Office had done their job, not just the night that he died, but the night before, and the times before that, Terry might still be alive, and no one else would have been hurt.”
Terry Silvers, a known opioid user, was involved in one of numerous accidents in Towns County the the night prior to his death, and several witnesses, including a veteran law enforcement officer from a neighboring county, reported Silvers’ to seem unmistakenly under the influence, unfit to drive. Despite Silvers’ reported condition, Silvers was released without facing charges by Towns County Sheriff’s Office after an alcohol sensor and roadside test were conducted. The cause of the accident was listed by the sheriff’s office as shifting firewood in the bed of Silvers’ truck.
Sadly, twenty four hours after the incident, Silvers was dead, and many lives were drastically altered. In spite of Heather Segars steadfast effort to summon help, that help never arrived. In the troubling 911 audio tape, a sheriff’s office patrol siren can be heard racing to another call, leaving Segars heart wrenching pleas for assistance unanswered.
Two additional victims face repercussion from Silvers’ turned-fatal crash.
Tracie Stewart and her 13 year old granddaughter, Tathem, were traveling south on NC-69 in Clay County, NC, on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 23, a night that Stewart says will haunt her memory forever. Stewart was driving her granddaughter to Chevelle’s Restaurant, just north of the Georgia state line, to meet with friends when tragedy struck.
Stewart recalled seeing a black car suddenly brake in front of her, darting into the turning lane, while thinking that it had rear-ended another vehicle. The grandmother tells FYN that she, too, swiftly applied her brakes. “I saw the headlights right in front of me,” Stewart said. “It happened so quick, there was nothing that I could do.” As Stewart relived the fateful night, she described the accident as one of sheer terror. “I felt my arm snap like a twig. Tathem was yelling ‘Mimi, my legs are broke.'” Stewart and her granddaughter were transported to Union General Hospital in Blairsville, GA. “I discovered not only was my hand and wrist crushed, but I also had a lacerated liver and spleen,” Stewart said.
Stewart was later transported to North Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for specialized treatment. Stewart has since faced three arm surgeries, losing 3.5 inches of bone, and a medical pin was placed in her fractured foot. Fortunately, Stewart says that her granddaughter, Tathem, did not suffer major, physical injuries.
“When FYN released the 911 tape, it was horrific to listen to,” Stewart expressed. “That’s where my anger really kicked in. When (Terry) was in the parking lot of Cornerstone, when you can hear the deputy passing, and Heather (the 911 caller) was begging and pleading for an officer to pull into the Cornerstone and put him into custody… I’m not sure if my ‘rewind’ button will ever be broken as this replays in my mind. I see Terry’s face on the windshield. I think that Towns County Sheriff’s Office could have done totally different to prevent this from ever happening, not to mention that in the past, they have let (Terry) go on multiple occasions.”
FYN has contacted Towns County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly, offering opporunities to respond to the tragedy. Towns County Sheriff’s Office has not replied to our requests for comment.
Towns County deputy who bypassed fatal BOLO released Silvers night before crash
Investigative Report, News March 9, 2019
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – FYN uncovered troubling new details leading to the Feb. 23 accident that left one man dead, two victims injured, and a 911 caller in need of trauma therapy.
On the evening of Terry Silvers’ fatal crash, an unresponsive be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) was issued by Towns County 911 to Towns County Sheriff’s Office. In the dispatched audio recently released by FYN, a siren can be heard passing a 911 caller who pursued Silvers’ vehicle into North Carolina, initiating an urgent call for law enforcement’s help.
FYN recently discovered that the same Towns County Sheriff’s Office deputy who did not respond to the turned-fatal BOLO was the deputy who released Silvers the night before tragedy struck. Towns County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Greg Joseph, also known as 112, bypassed the frantic 911 caller in order to respond to a possible prowler on Clark Drive in eastern Towns County. Deputy “112” released Silvers the previous night following an accident on Bugscuffle Road in Hiawassee.
Terry Silvers, in a photo submitted by his daughter, Amber
FYN received inside information that Towns County Sheriff’s Office Deputy 116, Eddie Spradlin, the county officer heard chastising the 911 dispatcher for issuing the BOLO on the released tape, requested the specific assistance of Hiawassee Police Department in response to the possible prowler. Towns County Sheriff’s Office dual, on-duty deputies were assigned to eastern and western zones.
A Towns County Sheriff’s Office deputy and Hiawassee Police Department officer were already on scene, actively clearing the residence, at the time the unanswered BOLO was issued for Silvers’ vehicle, prior to the deadly accident.
According to a local newspaper, Towns County Sheriff Chris Clinton stated that Deputy 112 Joseph was responding to provide back-up for the “only other deputy on duty,” referencing the possible prowler call as the reason that the BOLO was ignored. What Sheriff Clinton failed to mention was that not one, but two law enforcement officers were already on scene, securing the residence. “While we cannot possibly be there in time to prevent every tragedy, our deputies do a superb job of protecting our community with the resources available,” the sheriff is quoted as saying in the March 6 publication, “They perform their duties at the highest levels of professionalism, and they care deeply about our community and the safety of all citizens.”
While FYN remains strong advocates of law enforcement, FYN’s questions concerning the Silvers’ case remain unanswered by Towns County Sheriff’s Office.
On March 8, Sheriff Clinton published Deputy 112 Joseph’s body camera footage from Silvers’ Bugscuffle accident on the evening prior to the fatal crash. Despite testimonies from witnesses claimimg that Silvers’ was clearly in no condition to drive, Silvers was released without charges by Towns County Sheriff’s Office. As previously reported by FYN, multiple individuals have come forth to claim that Silvers was repeatedly released by Towns County Sheriff’s Office despite evident impairment following numerous accidents. In combination with widespread knowledge of Silvers’ opioid use, citizens are questioning why law enforcement failed to take a proactive role. In the published footage, Deputy 112 Joseph states that he has responded to accidents involving Silvers in the past while the tow truck operator on scene later questions Silvers’ sobriety. “Mr. Silvers, how many wrecks you going to have on this road?” the deputy asked. Silvers was administered an alcohol sensor and horizonal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test, and released without charges the night prior to his death.
FYN discovered that Silvers was arrested in May 2008, by Hiawassee Police Department for driving under the influence of opioids. According to the arrest report, former Hiawassee Chief Jimmy Wright performed a HGN test which Silvers failed. In the report, the late chief stated that Silvers exhibited evident disorientation and slurred speech.
In a social media post attached to the body camera footage, Sheriff Clinton stated in relation to the unresponsive BOLO that never was “a judgement call made by anyone employed by, supervised by, or otherwise under the control or responsibility of the Sheriff of Towns County.” Clinton seemingly shifted blame to Towns County 911, causing online outrage in response.
An administrator with Towns County Sheriff’s Office added comments concerning the department’s need for back-up without acknowledging the fact that a Hiawassee Police Department officer was on scene. In addition, the sheriff’s administrator provided an informational link in a seeming attempt to disassociate the sheriff’s office from Towns County 911. UPDATE: Following the release of this article, the sheriff’s administrator deleted comments made.
In accordance with state law, FYN filed a simple, open records request with Towns County Sheriff’s Office March 6 for the written report on the prowler incident. Towns County Sheriff’s Office replied that due to increased prisioner transport to the courthouse, the department’s road patrol lieutenant and captain had not yet approved the report, and that it will not be available for release until as late as March 15.
Georgia’s Open Records Act allows a maximum of 72 hours for delivery of public records, or a viable reason as to why they cannot be produced.
Towns County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to FYN’s requests for comment on Silvers’ case.
WSB-TV and 11 Alive news in Atlanta have taken interest in FYN’s investigation.
Man killed in Clay County crash involved in Towns County accident evening prior
News February 27, 2019
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Hiawassee resident Terry Silvers, 52, was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Clay County, NC, Saturday evening, Feb. 23, after the northbound truck that he was driving entered into the southbound lane of NC-69, colliding with another vehicle.
Most recent social media profile photograph of Terry Silvers
The driver and passenger of the oncoming vehicle sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Silvers died at the scene of the accident, due in part to firewood from the bed of the truck ejecting into the cab of the vehicle, North Carolina Highway Patrol stated. Road conditions are not believed to be a contributing factor in the fatal crash, with North Carolina Highway Patrol determining during the initial investigation that the truck Silvers was driving did not appear to brake prior to impact.
FYN learned that Silvers was involved in an accident on Bugscuffle Road in Towns County, Friday, Feb. 22, the evening prior to the fatal crash. According to the submitted Towns County Sheriff’s Office report, the truck that Silvers was driving crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic, colliding with a roadside fence.
Accident report sketch of the incident on Bugscuffle Road, the night prior to the fatality
Towns County Sheriff’s Office’s written summary of the incident stated that firewood in the bed of the truck shifted, causing Silvers to lose control of the vehicle. The report stated that alcohol or substance screenings were not conducted, and no charges were filed.
The cause of the fatal Clay County collision remains under investigation. North Carolina Highway Patrol has requested a toxicology test on the victim with results expected in coming weeks.
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Tragedy confirmed in Highway 76 Accident
News September 27, 2018
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – A single motor vehicle accident occured during the early afternoon hours of Wednesday, Sept. 26, on Highway 76, west of Hiawassee, in the vicinity of Ridgecrest Circle. FYN reported the likelihood of a fatality shortly after the accident occurred, with the information later confirmed by authorities.
A single occupant female, 63, was traveling eastbound toward Hiawassee when the driver presumably lost control of the vehicle, crossing wetbound traffic lanes, and colliding with an unoccupied building, located near the shore of Lake Chatuge.
The victim was ejected from the vehicle, into the structure, and was pronounced deceased on scene.
The accident occured due west of Ridgecrest Circle on Highway 76
Eyewitnesses to the wreckage described the vehicle involved as a newer model truck, grey in color.
Rain conditions may have been a factor in the tragedy.
Georgia State Patrol is investigating the incident.
Feature Photo: Scene of the accident, an unoccupied business situated on Lake Chatuge
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