Metro Atlanta inmate transport van crashes after driver falls asleep
Walton County inmate transport van crashed in west Georgia. Courtesy Sparta police.
Sparta, Ga. - Several inmates were injured when a transportation van crashed in east Georgia, according to officials.
What we know:
The Sparta Police Department said a Walton County Sheriff's Office inmate transport van was headed to the Washington County Sheriff's Office detention facility when it crashed into a utility pole.
The Washing County Sheriff's Office said deputies received a request for mutual aid from the Hancock County Sheriff's Office after the van crashed around 6:40 a.m. on Friday.
The sheriff's office and EMTs responded to the scene on Highway 15 in Sparta.
One deputy and eight inmates were taken to the hospital for treatment, but none of the injuries were serious, police said.
Local officials guarded the inmates while they were at the hospital, according to police.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation sent an update Sunday to say the driver fell asleep at the wheel. GBI agents said the driver is not suspected of driving under the influence.
The Source: Information in this article came from the Washington County Sheriff's Office. This article was updated with information from the GBI.