5 killed, 1 injured in fiery Georgia crash
COVINGTON, Ga. — Five people were killed and one was injured after a van crashed into a pickup truck on a highway in Georgia.
The wreck happened Saturday on State Route 142 in Covington, east of Atlanta. All five of those killed were in the van, Sgt. Jack Redlinger with the Newton County Sheriff’s Department told WSB-TV.
The pickup driver was hospitalized in critical condition, sheriff’s investigators told news outlets.
Investigators said rain was falling when the accident happened, but they had not immediately determined if the weather was a factor in the crash.
Greg Barlow, who lives near the scene, told WAGA-TV that he heard the crash and rushed out to try to help.
“There wasn’t an inch of that van that wasn’t on fire,” Barlow said. “The thud I heard was like there was no brakes. It wasn’t a screech, it was a direct hit.”
Barlow said he grabbed a kitchen fire extinguisher, but the fire was too large.
Investigators told WAGA-TV that a preliminary investigation found the truck left its lane before the collision. Deputies declined to say if the pickup driver could face charges.
Authorities did not immediately release the names of those killed or injured.
The Associated Press left a phone message with the sheriff’s office Sunday, seeking additional information.