Three die in fiery wrong-way crash while trying to outrun police, Georgia troopers say
An attempted traffic stop led to a fiery head-on crash that left three people dead, Georgia troopers told news outlets.
It happened Aug. 16 as a Blythe Police Department officer was trying to stop a speeding driver in a Mercury Sable, The Augusta Chronicle reported, citing the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
The driver refused to pull over and at the Bath Edie Road intersection entered the southbound lanes while still going north, troopers said, according to WRDW.
The officer didn’t follow the car onto the wrong side of the road.
The Sable continued for about a mile before it hit a truck head-on and burst into flames, the station reported, citing troopers.
Augusta Fire and EMA was alerted to the blaze just before 8 p.m. and learned three people were trapped inside, according to a news release. Crews quickly put out the fire and found the victims’ bodies.
“Firefighters spent several hours safely extricating the victims from the severely damaged car,” the fire department said.
The people in the truck were treated at the scene, according to fire crews.
The three victims haven’t been identified, but Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen said an autopsy is scheduled, The Augusta Chronicle reported.
Additional information wasn’t available.
McClatchy News reached out to Georgia State Patrol on Monday and was awaiting a response.
Blythe is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Augusta.
This story was originally published August 19, 2024 at 12:46 PM.