Three people being pursued by police in Newton County were killed after their car crashed into a tree and caught on fire, authorities said.

Newton County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about 2:30 a.m. Monday that two suspects were attempting to break into cars in a neighborhood off Fairview Road, according to spokeswoman Caitlin Jett.

When the deputies arrived, the suspects got into a 2010 Toyota Tacoma and drove off, Georgia State Patrol spokeswoman Franka Young said in a statement. During the pursuit, the Toyota failed to maintain its lane at the intersection of Jack Neely Road, went off the road and struck a tree.

The vehicle caught on fire and all three suspects were trapped inside and unable to be rescued, Young said. The bodies are still in the process of being identified at the GBI Crime Lab.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office passed the investigation to the Georgia State Patrol.

No other information was released.

About the Author

Keep Reading

If the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes, the 30% federal tax credits offered for clean energy installations — such as these solar panels being installed atop an Ellenwood home in 2022 — would be sunset by the end of 2025. (Jason Getz/AJC 2022)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff (left) and Raphael Warnock — along with the other 45 members in the Democratic caucus — opposed the reconciliation bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday. The wide-ranging package extends tax cuts and slashes federal spending on safety net programs. (Ben Hendren for the AJC 2024)

Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC