Area Funeral Director Dies in I-75 Crash in Emerson

An Interstate 75 crash in Emerson on Thursday claimed the life of a Paulding County funeral director.

Jeff Eberhart, 58, was the manager, a licensed funeral director and an embalmer at Jeff Eberhart Funeral Home in nearby Dallas. Gene Penney, who works at the funeral home as an assistant, said Eberhart died about 4 p.m.

His Harley-Davidson, which was pulling a trailer, was the only vehicle involved in the 1 p.m. crash just outside Cartersville in Bartow County, Emerson Police Chief Stan Bradley told Patch.

He said a tractor-trailer also traveling north on I-75 apparently passed Eberhart's motorcycle, and the resulting wind sheer caused the motorcycle to sway, according to witnesses. Authorities believe Eberhart lost control of the motorcycle as a result.

"That's just speculation, but with a motorcycle, the margin of error is much smaller than with a car," Bradley said, adding the motorcycle, which was traveling about 65 mph, overturned several times, crushing its driver.

Eberhart was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where he was pronounced deceased.

Bradley called it an "unfortunate accident" and said no other vehicles were at fault, although the tractor-trailer that passed Eberhart may have been traveling a few miles over the speed limit. Police don't expect to lodge criminal charges in connection with the crash and Eberhart's passing.

A combination of wind and driver error—Eberhart likely inaccurately tried to correct his swaying bike—is believed to have caused the crash, Bradley said.

In nearby Paulding County, the community flooded Facebook and Twitter with their memories of Eberhart, a lifelong resident of the county.

According to his bio on the funeral home's website, Eberhart was elected Paulding County coroner at the age of 25. He served in that capacity from 1980 until 1992. 

Last year, he sought a return to the office, qualifying in May for the Republican primary, but the incumbent, Sam Clark, retained his position by earning more votes in the July 31 primary election.

Eberhart is survived by his wife, Debra Williams Eberhart, and their two children, Lindsey and Sidney Eberhart.

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Dallas-Hiram Patch has more on the community's reaction to Eberhart's sudden passing.