A Hixson man died this morning after he crashed his vehicle on Interstate 75 in Catoosa County.
Georgia State Patrol Trooper William Dedmon said in an email that Richard Bryant was driving south on the highway when he drove off the road and crashed into a concrete wall in the median. Bryant was later pronounced dead at Erlanger Health System. Dedmon said he doesn’t know the cause of the crash at this time.
Catoosa County Fire Chief Randy Camp said the crash occurred around 6:45 a.m. just north of Exit 348 in Ringgold. A fire erupted out of the engine compartment, and firefighters found the driver unconscious inside the vehicle.
Traffic on the highway was backed up for about two hours, Camp said, as firefighters suppressed the flames and pulled Bryant out. Some lanes remained closed while the state patrol investigated the scene.