Willie Smith Jr, 78, died after losing control of his Chevrolet Equinox in Macon, Georgia, causing it to become airborne and crash through the roof of a house. The incident highlights another fatal collision in Bibb County and occurred amid wider concern about road safety as the number of older drivers increases.

The crash happened at about 9am on Thursday, after Smith’s vehicle left Waverland Drive and struck a property in the 1900 block of Woodland Drive; a crane was needed to remove it. He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead; no other injuries were reported and it was unclear whether anyone was in the house. It was Bibb County’s fourth fatal road incident that month, while drivers aged 55 and over made up 35% of Georgia licence holders in 2022.