A man died Friday morning after his car went down an embankment and caught fire in Cherokee County, a fire department spokesman said.

About 11 a.m., fire officials responded to a location on Ga. 369 just west of the intersection with Yellow Creek Road, spokesman Tim Cavender said.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire, but the driver of the dark gray Chevrolet Malibu that was westbound was pronounced dead at the scene, Cavender said. He appeared to not be wearing a seat belt.

Both lanes of the highway were closed while a wrecker crew brought the car up from the embankment, Cavender said.

The man’s identity is not known. No other details were released.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by a Cherokee fire investigator, and sheriff’s officials are investigating the cause of the accident.

In other news:

Channel 2's Carol Sbarge reports.

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