NORCROSS — A Gwinnett County Police officer was injured trying to rescue a driver from a fiery crash on I-85 early Wednesday morning. The driver did not survive the crash.
At about 1:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to an injury crash on I-85 northbound in between Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Indian Trail Lilburn Road in unincorporated Norcross. The 911 caller said one vehicle was on fire.
Officers arrived within minutes of the original call. An officer approached a Ford F150 truck, which had visible flames. He attempted to rescue the unconscious driver and was injured in the process.
The driver of the truck died as a result of his injuries.
The officer was treated for his minor injuries at a local hospital and eventually discharged.
There were two vehicles involved, a pickup truck and an SUV.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, 32-year-old Kyle Persing, of Ochlocknee, was traveling northbound on I-85 near the Center Way bridge in his white Ford F150 pickup. The other driver was traveling the same direction in a white Nissan Rogue. Though the details of this crash are still under investigation, investigators say they believe the driver of the F150 may have either lost control or changed lanes and struck the Nissan Rogue causing both vehicles to veer into the center median wall.
The F150 overturned several times and eventually caught fire.
The driver of the Nissan Rogue was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The collision is still under investigation.
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