Danville doctor killed in Georgia crash

11:59 p.m.

By SUSAN ELZEY
Danville Register & Bee

Dr. David Sloan, a Danville ophthalmologist, was remembered by his associates Monday as a doctor who was well-loved and respected by everyone.

Sloan, 53, died in a single-vehicle crash Saturday while returning from an annual May weekend golf trip to Georgia with three close friends.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety reported that the accident occurred at 4:50 p.m. on Interstate 20 about six miles outside Crawfordville, Ga.

Sloan had been a partner in Dominion Eye Center for almost 20 years.

The driver, 53-year-old Kenneth Gallagher Jr., of North Carolina, lost control of the car and ran off the interstate, striking a tree, a spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Public Safety said.

Both Sloan, the front right passenger, and another passenger, 54-year-old William Bruce Posey, of South Carolina, were killed instantly.

Gallagher and another passenger, 53-year-old Tollie Mitchell, of North Carolina, were taken to the Medical College of Georgia where they were reported in critical condition Saturday.

The Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team of the Georgia Department of Public Safety continued Monday to reconstruct the crash scene. Charges, if any, are pending until the investigation is complete.

Dr. Terry Odom, one of Sloan’s partners, along with Drs. Orlando Alvarez and John Crews, spoke tearfully Monday about their friend and business partner of almost 20 years.

“He was very special, an excellent practitioner and physician,” Odom said. “He had an excellent demeanor with the patients, and everyone loved him.”

Odom said that the Center wasn’t functioning well Monday, but the patients understood.

“He was very loved,” he said. “He was one of the best.”

Melissa Gammon, the office manager, said Monday that the staff found out about Sloan’s death Sunday and are notifying patients as they come in.

“Dr. Sloan was very well-respected and always knew what to say if a problem came up,” Gammon said. “He was the ‘go-to’ person in the office. Someone said he was like the glue in the office.”

Sloan had been on several medical missions to deliver eye care and perform surgery, including trips to Mexico and Pakistan. He had been scheduled to go on a mission to Angola with his daughter in June.

“He was very passionate about the care of his patients and staff,” Gammon said.

Funeral

• Funeral services will be held Thurs-day at 3 p.m. at Mount Her-mon Baptist Church.

In remembrance

• Dr. David Sloan was married to his wife, Catherine, for almost 32 years. They had three children: Timothy David Sloan, of Fairborn, Ohio; Anna Catherine Sloan, of Providence, N.C.; and Stephen Mapp Sloan, also of Providence.
w He was a member of the Christian Ophthalmology Society, the Boy Scouts of America and served on the Medical Ethics Committee at Danville Regional Medical Center.
• According to his obituary, Sloan loved reading and music and served as the substitute organist at Mount Hermon Baptist Church. He also loved working on his farm in Providence where he and his family lived.

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4:41 p.m.

A Danville doctor died in a car crash on Saturday about six miles outside Crawfordville, Ga., a spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Public Safety has confirmed.

David M. Sloan, 53, a partner in Dominion Eye Center, was killed in a single-vehicle crash that occurred on I-20 around 4:50 p.m.

The driver, 53-year-old Kenneth Gallagher Jr. of North Carolina, lost control of the car and ran off the interstate, striking a tree, the spokesperson said.

Both Sloan, the front right passenger, and another passenger, 54-year-old William Bruce Posey of South Carolina, were killed instantly.

Gallagher and another passenger, 53-year-old Tollie Mitchell, of North Carolina, were taken to the Medical College of Georgia, where they were reported in critical condition on Saturday.

The Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team of the Georgia Department of Public Safety continues to reconstruct the crash scene, according to the spokesperson. Charges, if any, are pending until the investigation is complete.