HART COUNTY, Ga. – A 78-year-old Lavonia man was killed Monday morning after his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree in Hart County.

According to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, deputies, along with Hart County Fire and Hart County EMS, responded to the crash on Lankford Road near Floyd Road shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sept. 28.

The initial investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling on Lankford Road toward Ridgeview Road when it left the roadway while traveling through a curve and struck a tree.

The driver, identified as Freddie Swain Looney, 78, of Lavonia, was transported by Hart County EMS to St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, where he was pronounced dead.

The Georgia State Patrol was called to the scene to assist with the investigation.

The crash remains under investigation.