Authorities were notified of a wrong-way driver early Saturday morning just minutes before he slammed into another car, killing himself and two others, police said.

Police aren't sure how long Otis South, 41, had been driving his Lincoln Towncar the wrong way on I-20's eastbound lane when he struck Pontiac Sunbird head-on around 1:45 a.m.

That car was carrying 22-year-old Douglasville driver Fatima Bird, Melisa Sinkfield, 26, of Atlanta, and Keonda Brown, 22, of Carrollton. Bird was killed at the scene, and Sinkfield died en route to Grady Memorial Hospital.

South's car burst into flames, and Douglas County Sheriff's deputy's and Georgia State Patrol troopers struggled to extinguish the blaze to no avail. South, of Mableton, also died at the scene.

"We did the best that we could do with fire extinguishers to get it under control," said State Patrol Sgt. Clarence Prince. "But we couldn't get him out of the car until the fire department arrived."

Brown, who was seated in the front passenger seat of Bird's car, was the only survivor. She was listed in stable condition at Atlanta Medical Center. WSB-TV reported that Brown has a broken hip and will be in a wheelchair for several weeks.

The collision occurred between North County Line and Lee roads.

Prince said dispatchers were notified about South's car going the wrong way too late to stop him.

"It was just within a few minutes," that the next 911 call came in reporting the crash, Prince said.

Police are still investigating where and why South got on the interstate going the wrong way, he said.