Police say weather conditions may have been a contributing factor in a fatal collision Thursday night in Stone Mountain.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Gwinnett Police responded to a collision and arrived on the scene within two minutes.
Police found two vehicles, a black Toyota Avalon and a gray Lexus passenger car, had collided in the westbound lanes of Stone Mountain Highway west of East Park Place Boulevard in unincorporated Stone Mountain.
The driver of each vehicle was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. However, the passenger in the Toyota, 19-year-old Ethan Wootton died on scene as a result of the injuries he sustained.
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Wootton was a DeKalb County fire fighter, who graduated from the DeKalb County fire academy in January.
According to Gwinnett County police, the preliminary investigation revealed that the car Wootton riding in was traveling east on Stone Mountain Highway when the driver changed lanes to his right and passed a row of cars. When he changed lanes back to his left he lost control and crossed over the median into the westbound lanes. He and collided with the gray Lexus.
Wootton died on scene as a result of the injuries he sustained during the collision. Police say alcohol is not a contributing factor in this collision; however, it is believed that the weather and road conditions were a contributing factor.
Police say the case will require further investigation before determining if any charges will be filed. The westbound lanes of Stone Mountain Highway were closed for about three hours during the investigation.
