Walker County's prison fire chief injured in crash

Staff File Photo: Walker County State Prison firefighter Jeffery Wade, right, and Fort Oglethorpe firefighter J.T. Colom perform a search-and-rescue task while taking their state qualification test at Walker County Fire Station 6.
Staff File Photo: Walker County State Prison firefighter Jeffery Wade, right, and Fort Oglethorpe firefighter J.T. Colom perform a search-and-rescue task while taking their state qualification test at Walker County Fire Station 6.

Chief Matthew Mann, who heads the Walker State Prison fire department, is in serious condition after a crash this afternoon.

Georgia State Patrol Sgt. James McConathy said Mann was driving a prison van north on Georgia State Route 27 around 12:30 p.m. when another driver in a Honda Accord was heading south.

"For some reason, the Honda Accord just started drifting across the lanes and hit the fire chief van head-on," McConathy said.

The crash occurred around Turnipseed Road, near Rock Spring Baptist Church.

Like Mann, McConathy said, the driver of the Honda Accord is also in serious condition at Erlanger Health System. An inmate riding in Mann's van received minor injuries.

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