Crime & Safety

Police Release IDs in Fatal Austell Wreck

The Austell Police Department was trying to make a traffic stop.

A 29-year-old Roswell man and a 41-year-old Marietta man died in a fatal wreck that temporarily shut down a major Austell thoroughfare early this morning.

Just after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, an Austell police officer attempted to make a traffic stop on a silver 2005 Acura TL on Pontiac Circle near Maxham Road. As the officer attempted to approach the driver, identified this evening as Chrystina L. Stanford of Roswell, he sped away and headed northbound on Maxham Road in the southbound lanes, said Officer Mike Bowman, the spokesman for the Cobb County Police Department.

"After passing Sweetwater Lane on Austell Road and out of sight from the officer who attempted the traffic stop, the driver of the silver Acura collided head-on with a 2001 Gold Acura 3.5RL" driven by Gary V. Sheppard of Marietta, Bowman said.

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Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing and no charges are expected to be filed in the case.

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