I-85 chase turns fatal

A small car pursued by state troopers in Georgia went down an I-85 embankment and hit a tree. Yesterday’s accident left one person dead and two others injured. And parts of 85 northbound from exits 166 to 177 remained closed. Lake Hartwell Radio WLHR quoted Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas as saying deputies in Banks County tried to stop a silver Toyota for speeding. “We received a call that the Toyota was headed into Franklin County on I-85 exceeding speeds of 100 mph,” Thomas said. “We also had two deputies at Exit 166 and they put out stop sticks and attempted to stop the vehicle.” One GSP trooper’s car got alongside the Toyota at which point, Thomas said, the suspect’s car sideswiped the trooper’s patrol car. The sheriff also said as the Toyota sped northbound, deputies saw items being thrown from the car. It was not immediately known what those items were. One person in the Toyota died. Two others were sent to separate hospitals.