By Beth Alston

AMERICUS — A man piloting a powered parachute crash-landed in a field near Hodges Hobbies, 469 Neil Hodges Road. Authorities were notified at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday of the incident in rural northeastern Sumter County. Scanner traffic indicated the pilot might have sustained a broken leg.
Sumter County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy, Col. Eric Bryant, said his department responded for crowd control and traffic control, while Gold Star EME tended the pilot, who had no life-threatening injuries.
Sumter County Fire & Rescue Chief John Ekaitis, whose department also responded, said the male pilot was “conscious, alert and talking to EMS” at the scene.

According to the Hodges Hobbies’ website, the 2017 Southeast Powered Parachute and Grassroots Fly-In is this weekend.