Deputies Identify Woman Killed in Highway 316 Crash
OCONEE COUNTY, Ga. - Oconee County investigators have identified a passenger killed in a fiery wreck on Highway 316 earlier this week.
Jessica Cannon, 20, of Braselton, died in the Monday evening crash. The sheriff's office told FOX 5 the two people inside the jeep tried to get away from a deputy during a chase. Deputies said the jeep was dragged for several hundred feet before it burst into flames. Investigators are still working to identify the driver.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office released dash cam video of the chase. The video shows a 2007 Jeep Patriot Sport fleeing a deputy’s squad car on McNutt Creek Road. The driver blew through the stop sign on Georgia Highway 316. A split second later, the vehicle slammed into the trailer section of an 18-wheeler heading east. The truck dragged the vehicle an estimated 200 yards, during which the fleeing car caught on fire.
Minutes later, the dash cam catches the car catching the trailer on fire.
The truck driver was shaken up, but was okay. Investigators said the deputy wasn't hurt.
Oconee County Sheriff officials said the whole thing started after a deputy in uniform working a second job as a security guard at a subdivision under construction spotted the vehicle enter a subdivision which had been the location of some recent thefts. That was just before 10 p.m. Monday.
State Troopers have taken over the investigation. The road was closed for about 7 hours following the crash.
*A warning that some may find the dash cam video disturbing*