Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Charges Man in Fatal Honey Ridge Crash That Killed Cyclist
A man has been charged in the 2025 fatal crash involving a cyclist on Honey Ridge Road, but the rumor mill and disinformation within the community are overshadowing the arrest.
Background
On October 20, 2025, just before 8:00 a.m., Quinton Lynn White was traveling east in a Chevrolet pick-up truck on Honey Ridge Road outside of Guyton when he struck Franklin Ross from behind. Ross was traveling on a three-wheeled pedal cycle and succumbed to his injuries.
On the day of the crash, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release which indicated the sun may have been a contributing factor in the crash due to the impairment of the truck driver’s vision.
Deputies with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit conducted a full investigation of the crash, including reconstruction, use of forensic mapping of the site, and the submission of evidence for analysis by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab. Ross’ body was also transported to the Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Deputies awaited the results of the crime lab for months before issuing warrants. On Friday, June 12, White was booked into the Effingham County Jail on three charges. Including:
- Homicide by Vehicle – 2nd degree (misdemeanor) – for causing the death of Ross without the intention to do so.
- Procedure for Passing a Bicyclist (misdemeanor) – for failing to adhere to the statute which requires a driver make a lane change into a lane not adjacent to a cyclist or to slow to a reasonable and proper speed and proceed around a cyclist with at least three feet between his vehicle and the cyclist.
- Following Too Closely (misdemeanor) – for following more closely than was reasonable without having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and traffic on the roadway.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Felony Homicide by Vehicle v. Misdemeanor Homicide by Vehicle
Under Georgia law, the death of a person in a crash does not necessarily mean a felony charge with a lengthy prison sentence will follow. Georgia has two Homicide by Vehicle charges.
Homicide by Vehicle – 1st degree (FELONY) applies when a person causes the death of another with their vehicle ‘without malice aforethought.’ The death must result in the commission of one of the following unlawful acts:
- Reckless Driving
- DUI
- Improperly passing a school bus
- Fleeing/Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, or
- Driving as a habitual violator
Homicide by Vehicle – 2nd degree (MISDEMEANOR) applies when a person causes the death of another without malice aforethought and without committing the unlawful acts listed in the felony charge. Thelaw requires these offenses to be sentenced as misdemeanors (maximum 12 months in jail, $1,000 fine) with specifics set forth by the judge. If convicted, a person is subject to losing their driver’s license as well.
Essentially, if a person does not do anything ‘in aggravation,’ the offense is not a felony charge. As a result, White’s case will be prosecuted in State Court.
Delay in Bringing Charges
Since the week after the crash, members of the community have speculated on social media about a cover-up by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office. Specifically, these individuals alleged that no charges were brought against White due to his employment with the Sheriff’s Office.
TheGeorgiaVirtue confirmed that White previously worked as a jailer in Effingham – from June 2023 to October 2024 – but was not an employee of the Sheriff’s Office at the time of the crash, nor was he working for any other law enforcement agency. As of publishing, White was still not employed by any law enforcement agency.
The delay was a result of the GBI Crime Lab in Savannah, but the nearly 8-month delay resembles the timeline of most other autopsy report returns in similar cases. While autopsies are conducted in the days immediately after a person’s death, it can take months, sometimes even in excess of a year, for a final report to be produced. The report then has to be peer reviewed by another individual employed by the GBI.
Additional records provided to TheGeorgiaVirtue indicate that the autopsy report for Ross was peer reviewed by the GBI on June 10, 2026. The report was released to the Sheriff’s Office by the GBI on June 11, 2026 and the warrants for White were issued the same day. White turned himself into the Effingham County Jail on June 12, 2026. It is not unusual for individuals who are not accused of violent crimes to have the opportunity to turn themselves in.
Here are examples of other Ogeechee Circuit cases in which the drivers were charged months after the crash and, in several cases, with misdemeanor offenses:
- 2025 – An Effingham County man was driving a truck when he ran a stop sign and killed two people. He was charged 8 months after the crash.
- 2024 – An Effingham County man was driving a car when he struck a motorcyclist. He was charged 8 months after the crash. (felony case)
- 2022 – A Bulloch County woman struck a motorcyclist while changing lanes. She was arrested 8 months after the crash, following a full investigation.
- 2019 – A Bulloch County driver struck a motorist while making a U-turn. He was arrested 11 months after the crash.
