Polk County Public Safety personnel had a very busy weekend which came to a tragic point on Sunday.

Polk County 911 received a call to a bicycle accident on the Silver Comet Trail near its intersection with Clarkwood Road in Rockmart around 09:49 a.m. James Howard Adylette, age 53, of a Douglasville address, struck his head during the accident. Redmond EMS, Rockmart Fire and Rescue along with Polk County Police, Rockmart Police and Polk County Sheriff’s units responded to assist, both at the scene as well as at the landing zone.

Polk County Coroner Tony L. Brazier said the victim was treated by Redmond Paramedics and was then life-flighted to Grady Memorial Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center in Atlanta, where he underwent emergency surgery for a critical head injury.

In spite of the efforts by his doctors, Adyelette died from his injuries in Grady’s Neuro ICU around 4:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, according to Brazier.

“With the weather getting warmer, with summer coming on and with the CDC’s Pandemic Order’s being lifted we always see an uptick in accidental deaths. We urge people to enjoy the outdoors, while at the same time being safe and use safety equipment for biking and motorcycling, helmets and protective gear gives you that extra level of protection, helmets and knee/chin protection for skateboarding and if you’re on the water, swimming, skiing or boating, always wear UL-approved safety floatation vests.”

He added that “We want folks to enjoy their summer outdoors but it takes a toll on all us when something like this happens.”

Later on Sunday afternoon at 1:13 p.m., Polk County 911 received calls that a two-vehicle accident had occurred on Hwy. 27 South near Shoemake Road in Cedartown, resulting in one of the vehicles overturning.

Redmond EMS, Cedartown Fire and Rescue, Polk County Fire and Rescue, as well as units from Cedartown Police, Polk County Police, Polk Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol were all dispatched to the scene.

Responders arrived and provided care and treatment to multiple patients.

Brazier said that one patient was extremely critical on the scene prompting Paramedics and Rescue personnel to request an emergency helicopter be dispatched to the scene.

Cedartown and Polk Fire set up a landing zone at the intersection of Hwy. 27 and Hwy. 100. The victim was identified as Calvin L. Hutchinson, age 34, of a Polk County address, was treated at the scene and then life-flighted to Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta, a Level 1 Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery and treatment for critical injuries.

Unfortunately, his injuries were too critical for him to survive and he died at 4:18 p.m. in the Critical Care ICU at Kennestone, said Brazier.

Brazier praised the heroic efforts of the responders on both of these accidents and said that “these guys and girls gave it their all today trying to save both of our victim’s from both accidents.”

“We are very blessed in this County to have the caliber of EMS, Fire/Rescue and Law Enforcement personnel that we have here. God knows, I see them in action every day, and we’ve got in my opinion some of the Best of the Best.”

The Georgia State Patrol Special Accident Reconstruction Team has been called in to investigate the crash on Hwy. 27 South, according to Brazier.