5 Georgia Southern students killed in fiery crash, 2 injured on I-16
Authorities in Georgia say five Georgia Southe University students are dead after a fiery wreck on Interstate 16 just west of Savannah.
A spokesperson for the Georgia State Patrol says a tractor-trailer failed to slow down and smashed into slowed traffic. Troopers say the stop-and-go traffic was caused by an earlier, unrelated crash about a mile ahead to the deadly accident.
Troopers say the tractor-trailer slammed into an SUV and a car before colliding with the back of a tanker truck. The car caught on fire.
The chain-reaction crash involved a total of seven vehicles.
Three other people were injured in the crash.
Victims: Abbie Deloach (left), of Savannah, and Emily Clark, of Powder Springs, (right) were among the five young women killed in the horrific crash
Sad: Caitlynn Baggett (left), of Millen, and Catherine McKay Pittman, of Alpharetta, (right) were also killed
Terrible loss: Leesburg woman Morgan Bass was also killed in the horrific crash
The victims were identified as Emily Clark, a junior from Powder Springs, Morgan Bass, a junior from Leesburg, Abbie Deloach, a junior from Savannah, Catherine (McKay) Pittman, a junior from Alpharetta, and Caitlyn Bagget, a junior from Millen.
Georgia Southe University President Brooks Keel says several of those killed in the crash were students with the university. He says two other students were injured.
"The loss of any student, especially in a tragic way, is particularly painful. Losing five students is almost incomprehensible. Our hearts go out to the families, friends and classmates of the these students," Keel expressed in a statement made public Wednesday afteoon.
Keel says the flags at GSU will fly at half-staff Thursday in their memory and they will be planning a memorial.
Troopers say charges against the driver of the tractor-trailer are pending.
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