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Four transported after car hits Porterdale police vehicle, rolls onto top
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PORTERDALE, Ga. — The Georgia State Patrol this week continued to investigate after a driver reportedly suffered a “medical incident” and struck a parked police car before rolling onto its top in Porterdale last week.

Four people were transported to area hospitals following the Tuesday, Aug. 16, incident.

Local authorities called the State Patrol to investigate the wreck on Main Street just south of Cotton Street in downtown Porterdale at about 3:40 p.m.

A report stated that a 2016 Nissan Maxima driven by Vershea Antwashawan, 35, of Covington was traveling south on Main Street when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it struck an unoccupied Porterdale Police Department car parked in a parallel parking space along the southbound shoulder of the road.

The collision caused the Maxima to flip onto its roof and continue moving about 70 feet before stopping partially in the southbound lane.

A passenger in the Maxima, and Fire and EMS personnel on the scene, stated that the driver appeared to suffer a “medical episode” which “caused her to lose consciousness and press the accelerator,” the report stated.

“(The passenger) advised that she was forced to unbuckle her seat belt and attempt to gain control of (the vehicle) … but was unsuccessful,” the report states.

The driver had to be extricated from the Maxima and was transported to an area hospital with a minor injury.

The 51-year-old passenger was transported with an apparent serious injury, while two other passengers, ages 10 and 8, were transported to area hospitals with apparent minor injuries, the report stated.

Porterdale Police Chief Jason Cripps said Wednesday that “it appears that everyone involved is going to be OK.”

“I wanted to personally thank some members of our community that helped out with traffic control and other aspects of the crash,” he said.