LOWNDES COUNTY — The Georgia State Patrol has completed its investigation of the fiery vehicle accident that left one dead Saturday, Feb. 28.
No criminal charges have been filed.
GSP Sgt. Brian Gay of Post 31 said that the driver of a white 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass, who is believed to be 37-year-old Emilio Sarabia, was traveling east on Nankin Road, went over the center line and struck a maroon 2004 Chevy Tahoe driven by Kenneth Miller.
The impact caused Sarabia’s vehicle to rotate counterclockwise and travel into the south ditch. The vehicle caught on fire due to a grass fire that was already in progress, Gay said.
Sarabia died from blunt head injury, said Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson. Miller was transported to South Georgia Medical Center, treated and released for injuries he sustained in the accident. One other occupant of the vehicle had a complaint of an injury but was not transported for treatment. No other injuries were reported.
The fiery accident badly burned the deceased victim’s body, making a visible identification impossible. Nothing was found on the body to help identify the driver.
Watson tentatively identified the deceased victim as Sarabia based on a conversation with Sarabia’s son, Carlos. He asserts that he will not have a positive identification of the body until DNA results return from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Atlanta. Identification could take three to four months.
Gay said that smoke from the nearby fire was a contributing factor in the crash since visibility was low at the time. To his knowledge, the person responsible for the fire was issued a citation for illegal burning. No criminal charges have been filed by the GSP.
Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine previously told The Times that just as violators who burn without permits could be held liable for loss of property, they could also be held liable for loss of life if it is proven that an accident was a result of the burning. Therefore, civil charges could result from the accident.
Born in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico on April 5, 1971, Sarabia had been a resident of this area for the past 20 years. He had two sons and one daughter, all of Valdosta. A funeral service for Sarabia was held Friday at the First Assembly of God, Cristo Mi Roca Church, in Valdosta. Burial followed in McLane Riverview Memorial Gardens.
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