Victim of Weekend Crash Identified

Effingham County Coroner Duane Guffey is releasing the tentative identity of the victim of the fatal crash along North Blue Point Trail near Lake Sara early Sunday morning.

Guffey said circumstances and available evidence indicate that the victim is 35-year-old Joseph Wirth of the Lake Sara area. Positive identity can not be determined until DNA evidence is processed, which could take six to eight weeks.

Other evidence indicates the crash occurred between 1:00 and 1:30 AM on Sunday. The vehicle left the roadway, traveled a distance before striking a tree and burned. The vehicle came to rest in an area where it was not immediately visible to other motorists and residents in the area. Authorities were notified at approximately 9:30 AM Sunday when the burned-out vehicle was finally seen by a passing motorist.

An autopsy was conducted on Monday and preliminary results indicate injuries sustained from the crash killed the victim. The autopsy also identified the victim as a male and approximately the same age of Mr. Wirth.

Toxicology and final autopsy results are pending.