By Joe Johnson
An Athens woman reportedly was critically injured Sunday morning when the SUV in which she was a passenger overturned on Atlanta Highway.
According to Athens-Clarke County police, a 33-year-old Chalfont Drive man was driving a Ford Explorer on Atlanta Highway at about 10:45 a.m. when the vehicle left the roadway at Dakota Drive and struck an embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn.
Sandra Kelley, 50, who had the same Chalfont Drive address as the driver was transported to the hospital by National EMS with life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Three other passengers, including an infant and the oldest child being 11, were uninjured, police said.
“Preliminary information suggests that the vehicle hydroplaned, causing it to leave the roadway, said Lt. Shaun Barnett, ACCPD’s public information officer.
“The crash is under investigation to try to determine what factors may have caused the vehicle to hydroplane,” he said, mentioning possible factors such as speed and the amount of tread on the Explorer’s tires.
The investigation is ongoing, and police asked for anyone with information about the crash to contact Sgt. Michael Wood at 762-400-7087 or michael.wood@accgov.com