UPDATE | Driver indicted after fatal Gordon Highway crash kills a father of five

February 6, 2019

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- William Hand is facing charges after a crash on Gordon Highway killed a 37-year-old last June.

Hand is facing homicide vehicle in the first degree, serious injury by vehicle, driving under the influence, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and failure to wear a seat belt charges.

37-year-old Joshua Ducey was sitting at a traffic light on June 2, 2018 at the intersection of Gordon Highway and Doug Barnard Parkway. Hand was the other driver, deputies said was traveling too fast for conditions losing control of his vehicle, and t-boning Ducey's vehicle.

Ducey was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sunday, June 3, 2018

(News 12 at 6 o'clock)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT)-- The family says Joshua Ducey, father of five, did everything right, he was simply waiting a red light. But a driver, who deputies say was excessively speeding, hit and killed him.

Richmond county deputies were actively looking for a pickup truck because a call came in about the car driving too fast. Officers didn't find that car until after it crashed, ending 37-year-old Joshua Ducey's life.

"Devastated, heartbroken, shocked," Melissa Ducey cried. "I just talked to him the other day, and when you're told something like that , it's shocking."

Melissa Ducey lost her only brother and Robbie Ducey lost his son, because the driver of a pickup truck lost control of his car.

"There's anger because there's a lot of emotions you deal with when you lose someone like this. Yes of course there's anger because it didn't have to happen." Melissa continued, "It's a senseless act, him getting hit like that, someone driving that fast and my brother just sitting at a red light doing nothing."

The 37-year-old was waiting to turn left onto Gordon Highway. Investigators say the driver of the pickup was going at least one hundred miles an hour on that road.

"Hit the median and then basically t-boned into my son and hit his vehicle, and t-boned him from the side," Robbie said.

Deputy Coroner Kenneth Boose told News 12 the car then caught fire but a Corporal Officer nearby put out the flames.

"You don't want to believe it. It's a bad, bad dream you feel you'll wake up from. But the reality sets in and it's not a dream. And it's true," Melissa explained. "It's unbelievable, it's inexcusable, it's incomprehensible," her father, Robbie echoed. "I can go on and

on but it's for real."

They cannot make sense of what they call senseless. The father of five had just started training as a truck driver.

"He was so excited because he knew this would be an avenue for him to provide for his kids and he liked to drive, it was his passion."

He loved being on the road, but his family never expected it'd be the very last place he was.

"I've never shown a lot of emotion in my life, that's just how I was raised." Robbie cried, " But losing your only son senseless like that..It's almost more than you can take at times."

Joshua's girlfriend was passenger in his car, she is recovering at the hospital.

The Ducey family says investigators told them the pickup truck driver is facing a charge of vehicular homicide, along with other charges.

Those charges are pending because the driver is still in the hospital.

News 12 will update you as those charges become available.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- An Augusta man is dead after an accident on Gordon Highway and Doug Barnard Parkway early this morning.

Richmond County Chief Deputy Coroner, Kenneth Boose, confirms 37-year-old Joshua Ducey was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened at 1:25 A.M. Officials say Ducey was driving a 2007 Ford Escape and was stopped at a traffic light waiting to turn left onto the WB side of Gordon Highway. The driver of a Nissan Titan pickup truck was travelling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Gordon Highway when he lost control of the truck, struck the guardrail, and t-boned Ducey's vehicle, overturning it.

A passenger in the Escape and the driver of the Titan were both taken to Augusta University Medical Center's emergency room where they were admitted for treatment.

Charges are pending against the driver of the truck. An autopsy on Ducey's body has been scheduled early next week at the GBI Crime Lab.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office are continuing to investigate this accident.