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Man not injured after driving his car into pond off Bradford Street
0930wreck
Chip Patterson, with Smith Wrecker Service, answers his phone while assessing the situation with a truck that ran off Bradford Street, went through a fence, down an embankment and ended up in a pond behind First Baptist Church. - photo by Tom Reed

A man drove his truck into the retention pond off Bradford Street on Wednesday evening and came out with no injuries.

Marty Schock was at the First Baptist Church on Green Street around 5 p.m. picking up items, and he left before Wednesday dinner was served.

"He blacked out and went down the hill but came to by the time he hit the water," said the Rev. Bill Coates, who talked to Schock before he was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. "He didn't know how deep the water was and was able to climb out of his vehicle. He slipped on the hill, however, and fell into the water. He wasn't alert when they loaded him into the ambulance."

Schock didn't have any injuries, but he has had some recent medical issues.

"He had a heart attack recently and had a bad backache the last few days, but no one is sure about what happened," Coates said.

Coates told the church congregation, there for Wednesday night services, and several members stood outside of the church and watched emergency personnel pull the vehicle out of the pond. Schock isn't a First Baptist Church member but has relatives who attend the church.

"It's amazing that he just missed the concrete barrier there," Coates said. "You know the (truck) was going fast down that hill, and he could have been seriously hurt."

Bruce Fields, associate pastor for pastoral care, went to the hospital with the family Wednesday night. The family declined to add details but said Schock is doing well.