Just hours after winning the conference championship, two LaGrange baseball players were among three killed in a two-vehicle car accident Saturday night on Roanoke Road near Paddle Wheel Drive in LaGrange Saturday night. The players — both freshmen pitchers — included 19-year-old Jacob Brown, a Peachtree Ridge High School graduate from Duluth, and 18-year-old Stephen Bartolotta, of Palm City, Florida. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. 24-year-old Rico Dunn was also involved in the accident and was transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital, where he died from his injuries early Sunday morning.
According to Troup County Chief Deputy Coroner Amy Sheppard, the baseball players had been out celebrating their team’s victory Saturday night and were headed back to town with Brown driving the vehicle. Brown was reportedly attempting to pass a vehicle when he struck Dunn’s vehicle head-on. The LaGrange College student body is taking the deaths of the players particularly hard, school officials reported, and counselors will be available as students and faculty prepare for finals and graduation, and will continue to be made available virtually through the summer months.
Head-on collisions — which occur when the front of one vehicle collides with the front of another vehicle — are relatively rare, only accounting for about 2 percent of the accidents occurring on U.S. roadways. However, they are extremely dangerous, accounting for about 10 percent of all traffic fatalities. One of the reasons this accident type is so deadly is because the force of the collision is increased by the forward motion of both vehicles.
If you have lost a loved one due to a fatal car accident, the experienced legal team at Cambre & Associates can help you understand the process of seeking compensation for the expenses and impacts of your loss. Contact us for a free case evaluation.
