A 29-year-old man was killed and four people were injured in a head-on crash late Tuesday in Cherokee County, investigators said Wednesday.
The wreck happened shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Bells Ferry Road near the intersection of Butterworth Road, Tim Cavender with the Cherokee County Fire Department said.
Investigators believe speed was a factor, the Georgia State Patrol said. Alcohol is not suspected, but a state trooper reported an odor of "burnt marijuana" in the car that allegedly caused the wreck.
A Cherokee County on-duty deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on a Pontiac Grand Prix in the Bridgemill subdivision, but the driver did not stop, Lt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office told the AJC. The driver, identified by the GSP as Jemail Raymont Jones, fled the area, ran a red light and then drove north on Bells Ferry Road, Baker said.
The deputy advised dispatchers of traffic violations against the Grand Prix and also turned onto Bells Ferry Road, but did not have emergency lights or his siren activated and was not pursuing the car, Baker said.
"When the deputy arrived at the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Butterworth Road, he was flagged down and advised there had just been a collision on Bells Ferry north of Butterworth," Baker said in an emailed statement. "The vehicle that had fled from the deputy crossed the center line and struck another vehicle traveling in the other direction."
The Grand Prix collided with a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck, killing Jones of Canton, according to GSP spokesman Gordy Wright. Two passengers in the Grand Prix were injured, along with the driver and passenger of the pickup truck, Cavender said.
The Grand Prix passengers were identified as Ricardo de San Pedro, 20, and Matthew Barron, 28, both of Canton. Jennifer Myers, 24, was driving the truck, and Michael Myers, 27, was the passenger, according to the GSP. The Myers also live in Canton.
All four of the injured people were transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, Marietta, but none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening, investigators said.
Bells Ferry Road was blocked in both directions for cleanup following the wreck. The accident is being investigated by the GSP.
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