4 Dead, 2 Hurt In Car Crash Fleeing Gustav

Published On: Oct 14 2011 03:02:43 PM EDT  Updated On: Sep 01 2008 03:03:16 AM EDT

Four people fleeing Hurricane Gustav are dead after a car crash Sunday night on Interstate 20 in west Georgia.

Trooper Terry Thompson with the Georgia State Patrol said the car veered from the roadway about 10 p.m. and struck a tree in the median. He said the driver may have fallen asleep.

Two other people in the car were airlifted to Atlanta hospitals. One of the survivors is in critical condition at Atlanta Medical Center, and the other is in stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Authorities have not released the names or hometowns of the victims, but the GSP said the car was fleeing Louisiana.

Buzz Weiss of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said the state has opened two evacuation centers for those fleeing Hurricane Gustav.

By Sunday afternoon the First Baptist Church in Lagrange was hosting about 15 evacuees. That center was opened to help Gulf Coast residents fleeing up I-85.

In Villa Rica, the Gold Dust Recreation Center was opened to house any evacuees driving along I-20. The American Red Cross said 107 people were using the facility by 7 p.m. Sunday.

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