A 40 year old Putnam County woman lost her life after she allegedly drove her Chevy Blazer down a boat ramp and into the lake at Johnson Chapel Monday afternoon.
Dead is Nancy Randolph.
Two others were in the Blazer with Randolph, reportedly her daughter Sara and her daughter’s boyfriend Houston Bussell, but they made it out safely.
Family members allege that Randolph intentionally drove the SUV into the water.
Nancy’s daughter Sara was in the front seat and Sara’s boyfriend Houston Bussell was a backseat passenger, according to reports. After they got out, Bussell allegedly went back to get Nancy out but she pushed him away.
(Video below shows TWRA Officers and Darrell Gill of DeKalb Tire and Service hooking the submerged Chevy Blazer to a roll back tow truck. Victims were already out of the Blazer by this time)
Investigators have not confirmed those details.
In a prepared statement, Sheriff Patrick Ray said the incident was reported at 12:25 p.m. at the Johnson Chapel Boat Ramp. According to Sheriff Ray, The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the boat ramp where a car had run off into the lake. A sheriff’s deputy who was close to the area arrived on the scene within seven minutes and spoke to two adults who said that the vehicle they were in had run into the lake and that the driver, a female, was still inside the automobile. Deputy Brian Williams and Detectives Mike Billings and Jeremy Taylor of the sheriff’s department went into the water and pulled the body of the woman from the submerged vehicle. The water was believed to be ten to fifteen feet deep. DeKalb EMS was on the scene and started CPR on the woman. She was then taken to DeKalb Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The other two adults were treated at the scene but refused further medical treatment.
Sheriff Ray commended Deputy Williams and Detectives Billings and Taylor saying “They went into the cold water and risked their own lives” to try and save Randolph
The investigation is ongoing by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department. No other information will be released at this time, according to Sheriff Ray.