16-year-old driver killed after car slams into DeKalb utility pole

A 16-year-old driver was killed Sunday night when his vehicle slammed into a utility pole in southeast DeKalb County.

Witnesses told Channel 2 Action News it appeared Ronnie Brown lost control before hitting the pole on Hairston Road near Wesley Chapel Road. Firefighters had to remove his body from the mangled Chevrolet Impala.

“It sounded like an earthquake,” Shon Freeman, who lives nearby, told the news station. “We just heard a bang. I came out and I saw the light pole down and the car was actually split in half.”

According to DeKalb police, Brown was the only occupant. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but speed appears to be a contributing factor, police said Monday.

Overnight, crews worked to repair the pole and restore power to nearby residents, Channel 2 reported. The road has been reopened to traffic.

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