Fatal wreck on Highway. 34 East

Friday, May 07, 2010
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alt — Emergency workers clear debris following a two-car accident on Highway 34 just west of Thomas Crossroads. The driver of the Subaru, the vehicle on the right, was killed.

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com One driver was killed and another injured in a head-on collision Thursday afternoon on Highway 34 East at the intersection with Lassetter Road. Names of the drivers have not yet been released by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. Deputy First Class Jason Wood said the sheriff's office received the call about the accident at 4:12 p.m. and officers were on the scene at 4:17.

The driver of a gray Subaru Forester was dead at the scene. Wood said the Subaru was westbound on Highway 34. The driver, who is believed to have been a Coweta resident, "was attempting to turn left onto Lassetter Road," Wood said. "It appears he turned in front of the Lincoln," Wood said. A silver Lincoln Town Car collided with the Subaru at the intersection -- "basically in a head-on manner," Wood said. Observations shared by witnesses at the scene indicated the driver of the Subaru may have been driving "a little fast," Wood said. Wood also said the evidence did not indicate either driver attempted to use his car's brakes. The Town Car had Florida license plates. Timothy Hoyle, a Peachtree City man who was in a vehicle a short distance behind the Lincoln, said he realized the accident was going to occur. "I could see it. I saw it was going to happen," he said. The Lincoln driver "had absolutely no time" to respond, Hoyle said. "I don't think he was even able to brake." Hoyle said he got out of his vehicle after the accident and called 911. He was unable to get a response from the Subaru driver. The driver of the Town Car -- described as a white man in his 20s -- climbed out of his car window and later collapsed on the side of the road. Hoyle said the Lincoln driver was responsive and indicated his leg might be broken. He had blood on his forehead. The eastbound lanes of Highway 34 were blocked for more than 90 minutes as emergency personnel worked to help the driver of the Lincoln and gather information. The Subaru had several multi-gallon containers of Red Rhino Fragra Foam in it at the time of the accident. The pink liquid is used in automated car washes. Some of the containers broke and were ejected from the car. The accident scene took on a surreal look with pink splatters from the Fragra Foam on both cars and a large stain on the Subaru's windshield. The liquid also poured onto the pavement, and a representative with the Georgia Department of Transportation brought sand to absorb the soapy chemical. Officials with the Coweta County Fire Department, the Georgia State Patrol and Vital Care Ambulance also came to the scene. As emergency workers used the "jaws of life" equipment to cut through a section of the Subaru to remove the driver, a wrecker arrived to take away the Lincoln. Both Wood and Yeager said there would be no charges in the accident. "There are no charges pending because he (the Subaru driver) was at fault," Yeager said. "It's obvious he died from traumatic injuries." A man living near the intersection heard the noise from the crash but did not see anything. Other than what Hoyle and a passenger in his vehicle saw and what the Lincoln driver may remember, little will likely be known beyond the most basic facts about the fatal accident. In all probability, Yeager said, "we'll never know what happened."

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Fatal wreck on Highway. 34 East

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