Georgia man thankful to strangers who rushed to rescue him from horrific crash into river

TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man who survived a terrifying crash said he’s grateful for the heroic actions of three strangers who saved his life.

A witness at the scene captured the dramatic moments good Samaritans carried the injured driver up at 200-foot embankment in Towns County.

Channel 2′s Michael Sieden talked to Tim Reed, 64, who is an avid fisherman.

Reed was on a fishing trip with his friends. On the way to a second location, he drove off the road in his Jeep Wrangler, tumbled down an embankment and plunged straight into Charlie’s Creek early Friday evening.

“When it came to rest , I was underwater," Reed said. "I couldn’t reach the seat belt release . I couldn’t get it to come lose. I have already given up and said, 'This is it. This is going to end me.'"

Miraculously, Reed sustained only bumps and bruises in the crash, but he still thinks he could have died had it not been for a group of good Samaritans.

Colby Newton, of Elijay, was also headed out to fish with his two best friends to celebrate his 21st birthday on Friday, the day of the accident. He and his pals Austin Waters, 19, and Brett Warfield, 20, witnessed the terrifying crash.

"We were going up the road and pulled over and he was coming by us and his tire dipped off the side of the road and he rolled to the bottom" Newton said. “We all jumped out and we knew we had to get to him. It was more of an instinct."

Several other good Samaritans also jumped in to help.

Reed said the next thing he knew, a stranger was lifting his head out of the water.

Good Samaritans helped Reed out of the car and then up the embankment. The loaded him in their truck and took him to an ambulance on the other side of the river. A helicopter took him to the hospital.

“I’ll tell you what I’m a lucky man," Reed said "I’m a lucky man because those angels came to the rescue.”

Reed said he is sore and feels like he got run over by a truck, but is otherwise recovering.

“Considering I went down a 200 foot embankment and rolled about six to eight times and ended up upside down in the river, I think I’m doing pretty good," Reed said

Reed says he’s just thankful Newton, his friends and the other people willing to put themselves in danger to help him.

“I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those boys, because they could’ve kept going,” Reed said. “But they stopped and did what needed to be done to help someone, and in this day in age, that’s special.”

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