Newly released surveillance video from Garry’s Auto Repair provides critical context in the tragic crash that claimed the life of 8-year-old Camden Jace Poole on his birthday.
The video, now in the hands of investigators, captures the sequence of vehicles turning left at the intersection of Peach Orchard Road and Tobacco Road in the moments leading up to the fatal collision.
VIDEO:
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck—identified as Lee Earnest Jones Jr.—was fourth in line in the southbound left-turn lane on Peach Orchard Road. The first three vehicles began their left turns with the light changing from green to yellow.
Second later, both Jones and Kayla Poole, driving northbound through the intersection with her son Camden in the back seat, had entered the intersection under a yellow light. The light turned red, just as the crash occurred.
In a statement from Captain Michael Lewis of the RCSO Traffic Division, investigators determined that Jones’s pickup turned left in front of Poole’s oncoming Hyundai Elantra.
“As the at-fault vehicle initiated its left turn, the right front of the at-fault vehicle made contact with the front of vehicle 2,” the statement reads.
The sheriff’s office concluded that Jones was at fault for failing to yield while turning left.
The impact sent both vehicles spinning. Jones’s truck came to rest on the northeast side of the intersection, while Poole’s car ended up facing southeast in the northbound lane. Camden, seated in the rear passenger seat of his mother’s car, suffered critical injuries. He was later pronounced dead at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center at 1:50 p.m.
Jones was arrested and charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide and failure to yield. He was booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
Both drivers initially told investigators they believed they had the right of way. Jones said he was following vehicles ahead of him through a green arrow, while Poole stated she entered the intersection as her light turned yellow. A witness at the scene confirmed that the northbound and southbound lights on Peach Orchard Road were green at the time, and that left-turning vehicles had been proceeding through the intersection before the crash.
Meanwhile, Lee Jones Jr. and his wife, Lisa Bates-Jones, expressed profound sorrow over the tragic passing of Camden Poole, extending heartfelt condolences to his family and all affected. In a Facebook post Friday, they acknowledged the unimaginable pain of losing a child, especially on his birthday, and asked for continued prayers and compassion as their family navigates this difficult time.
Emphasizing their commitment to respectful communication and the pursuit of truth and justice, they drew strength from their faith, quoting Psalm 34:18, and thanked the community for its love and support.
Camden’s grandmother has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe to raise money for medical and funeral expenses. It has raised nearly $15,000, as of Friday evening.
