Jackson County man killed, passenger hurt when vehicle crashes on Lumpkin Street in Athens
A Jackson County man was killed Thursday in a crash on Lumpkin Street in Athens, according to Athens-Clarke police.
The crash occurred shortly after 12 p.m. along a sharp curve of the road between Gran Ellen Drive and Old Princeton Road, police said.
Austin Tarpkins, 20, of WL Williams Road, Commerce, died at the crash site, while his passenger, Macie Chastain, 19, of Box Springs in Talbot County, was injured and transported to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center.
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The investigation showed that the 2002 Ford Escape was traveling north when it left the road, went down an embankment and crashed into a tree.
A motorist in front of the Escape told police he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed as it left the road and flipped. The man reported he turned around and went back to the crash site to assist those in the Escape until rescue could arrive.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Officer Shawn Denmark at (762) 400-7364.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens crash kills Commerce man, injures passenger on Lumpkin Street
