Effingham man died in I-16 crash

Joel Moore was on his way to work in the Atlanta area

A 61-year-old Effingham County man was one of four people who died in a series of wrecks in heavy fog and smoke this morning on Interstate 16 between Macon and Dublin.

Joel Moore was in his work truck, an extended-cab Ford pickup truck, on his way to work in the Atlanta area when he was killed, his wife, Deborah Moore said.

She said he worked as a wood chip quality technician.

Moore was from the Haddenville area in Effingham County, northeast of Springfield and near the Savannah River.

Seven tractor trailers and 20 other vehicles were involved in the major pileup near the Bleckley/Laurens County line that began just before 8:15 a.m.

The others who died were identified by the Laurens County Coroner’s Office as: Michael Jarome Smith, 52, of Covington; and Clayton and Josephine Warnock of Dublin.

Nine people were injured in the accidents.

One westbound lane of Interstate 16 is scheduled to reopen tonight. Eastbound lanes reopened at about 12:30 p.m.

Troopers were in the area investigating smoke from a controlled burn before the first calls came in about the accidents. The region was also under a dense fog advisory for visibilities of less than a quarter of a mile.

Two tractor trailers caught fire and one exploded, Twiggs County deputies say.