MILLEDGEVILLE, GA : Three persons injured in head-on collision on Wednesday, October, 11th 2017

Two people were seriously injured, while another person was critically injured following a head-on collision between a car and a pickup truck on Dunlap Road in Milledgeville Wednesday afternoon.

The driver of the car, whose name has not yet been released by authorities, reportedly failed to stop for a trooper with the Georgia State Patrol for a traffic-related offense. The incident ultimately led to a pursuit and subsequently the head-on crash.

The wreck occurred directly in front of Envy Salon and Evans & Associates Tax and Accounting.

The person critically injured in the crash that happened in the 600 block of Dunlap Road about 2:35 p.m. was trapped in the twisted wreckage of the car for about 45 minutes. Firefighters with Milledgeville Fire Department used Jaws of Life specialized cutting tools to free the passenger in the Mercury Grand Marquis LS.

The man was later taken to a waiting medical helicopter nearby and flown from the scene to Navicent Health in Macon. Authorities at the scene described the man’s condition as critical.

The names of those involved in the head-on collision were not immediately disclosed by authorities because an investigation into the cause of the crash was still underway Wednesday night by troopers with the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT).

Sgt. Ed Starling, acting post commander of the Georgia State Patrol post in Milledgeville, said actions by the driver of the car led to a pursuit and the wreck.

Trooper 1st Class Patrick Prosser encountered the car on Jefferson Street where the traffic offense reportedly happened, Starling told The Union-Recorder at the scene. The driver failed to stop for the trooper. Later the driver of the car made a left turn onto Dunlap Road, Starling said.

A short time later, the driver of the car attempted to pass a vehicle in a no passing zone on Dunlap Road.

“The car entered the eastbound lane and struck a pickup truck head-on,” Starling said, noting that additional information would likely be available today from the public information office of the Georgia Department of Public Safety in Atlanta.

The driver of the car, as well as the driver of the truck, owned by Windstream, of Milledgeville, were both treated at the scene by firefighters/first responders and personnel with Grady Emergency Medical Services. They later were taken by ambulances to the emergency room of Navicent Health Baldwin in Milledgeville. Both were listed in serious condition, authorities said.

Milledgeville Fire Chief Tom Dietrich said rescuing the two men trapped in the car was the biggest challenge for his firefighters. Another element they encountered was extreme heat from the high temperature that reached 90 degrees Wednesday afternoon.

“The A-frame of the car was wrapped around one of the legs of the passenger,” Dietrich said. “It had to be cut in several places in order to get the A-frame to where the tools could push the door away from his leg.”

Dietrich said firefighters had to overcome a number of obstacles during their rescue of the three people involved.

“The metal was completely wrapped around his lower leg, and by it being wrapped around that way it had to be cut, pushed and pulled to get it off his leg,” Dietrich said, referring again to the trapped passenger in the car.

All of the firefighters from MFD Engine Company No. 2 responded, and Dietrich said he also called a second unit from MFD Station No. 1, because it was such a hot afternoon temperature-wise. The city fire chief said the rescue truck and team also responded from headquarters.

“It was pretty hot for our firefighters because of all the turnout gear they had to wear,” Dietrich said.

London Weaver, a hair stylist at Envy Salon, said she happened to have been standing at the window of the business when she heard the impact of the vehicles collide.

“I just heard a big boom when I was standing by the window,” Weaver said. “I ran outside and up the driveway to see if there was anything I could do to help.”

Weaver said she ran to the edge of the driveway of the business before she saw a state trooper get out of his car with a gun.

“He ran to the wrecked car and told the people inside to put their hands up,” Weaver said. “That’s all I heard.”

Weaver said she then ran back inside the salon and waited on emergency responders and law enforcement officers to arrive.

“Within seconds there was multiple law enforcement personnel at the scene,” Weaver recalled.

Among them were several officers with the Milledgeville Police Department, as well as deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and several state troopers.

Calvin Hill, a local resident who lives on Timberlane Court, about a mile from the crash site, said he heard the wreck at his home.

“It sounded like something exploded,” Hill said. “After I heard the sound, I then heard several sirens. I then got on my bike (motorcycle) and rode around thinking to myself that I might find out what happened.”

A short time later, he discovered that what he had heard was the sound of the car slamming into the pickup truck.

“It sounded like it was close by when I heard from my backyard,” Hill said.

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Three persons injured in head-on collision