The critically injured man was trapped in his Toyota Prius after the driver of a tractor trailer failed to yield when turning left into a private drive, causing a head-on collision Thursday evening.
According to the state patrol, the driver of the Prius was traveling east on Ga. Highway 53 when a westbound tractor trailer pulled in front of him.
To avoid the impact, the driver of the Prius swerved into the right-turn lane, but the tractor trailer still struck the Prius head-on, according to GSP Operator Sorrells.
Authorities have not identified the critically injured man, but said that his vehicle bore an Oconee County license plate.
The driver of the tractor trailer, 61-year-old Carl Manning of West Virginia was treated for minor injuries at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and has been released from the hospital.
The critically injured man was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital with serious injuries. He remained in critical condition Friday morning, Sorrells said.
The wreck shut down the two-lane road for about 3 hours. Ga. 53 was opened up about 8:30 p.m.