A Gwinnett County man was sentenced to more than a decade in prison after a high-speed chase that caused a crash, hospitalizing a woman and three children left in a burning truck.
The July 2017 fiery crash happened on I-85 in Coweta County.
Mario Dewayne Anderson, 33, of Lawrenceville, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of probation as part of a non-negotiated plea, according to Coweta County Superior Court records.
Anderson pleaded guilty to felony attempting to elude an officer, serious injury by vehicle, second-degree child cruelty, reckless driving, driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license, court records show.
The crash hospitalized the three kids, ages 8, 10 and 11, and a woman who were in a Ford F-150, AJC.com previously reported.
RELATED: Woman, 3 children hurt after Gwinnett man flees trooper on I-85
Georgia State Patrol trooper Lindsey Barber clocked Anderson driving 118 mph and attempted to pull him over, but he continued driving north on the interstate. He ended up exiting onto Ga. 27 and returned to I-85 using the southbound exit, driving the wrong way on the interstate.
Anderson’s vehicle eventually struck a barrier before the F-150 collided with his car, catching the pickup truck on fire, the GSP said at the time.
The driver of the truck, who was not injured, and two of the injured children were able to escape, but one child and a woman were trapped in the truck as flamed erupted. Barber rushed to save them, the GSP said.
The children were taken to Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, and the woman was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. She suffered severe head trauma and broke her leg and pelvis, officials said.
Anderson will not be allowed to operate a vehicle during his parole, documents show.
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