A DeKalb County fire recruit was killed in a crash in Oconee County on Saturday night when his pickup truck hit a tree and caught fire.
Jackson Poole, 19, of Loganville, was trying to pass another pickup truck in a no-passing zone on U.S. 411 near Tappan Spur Road and his truck clipped the other vehicle, causing both to lose control, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
The other pickup began to spin and ran off the roadway, crashing head-on into a tree. Poole’s truck ran into a ditch and continued head first into a tree before catching fire.
His truck was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, GSP spokeswoman Tracey Watson said. Poole was unable to be rescued, she said, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers said no alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash, and cellphone use was not a factor.
Poole was in training with the DeKalb County Fire Department, following in the path of his father, DeKalb fire Capt. Fred Poole. Jackson grew up among firefighters, the fire department said in a statement on Facebook.
“As a child, he would play on the trucks, have fun with the guys and gals, and listen to stories about firefighting,” the statement read. “His father Fred, a 25-year veteran of the department, couldn’t be more proud of his son for wanting to follow in his footsteps. Jackson also shared the same feelings toward his father.”
The fire department asked for prayers for the Poole family, as well as for Jackson’s recruit class.
He is the second fire recruit to be killed in an off-duty crash in as many months. Recent fire academy graduate Ethan Wootton, 19, was a passenger in a head-on collision in Gwinnett County on Feb. 21. Weather and road conditions were believed to be contributing factors, according to Gwinnett police.
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“Capt. Fred Poole and his family are humbled by the support and outpouring of love received through this extremely difficult time,” the fire department said in the statement.
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