CORNELIA - The Georgia State Patrol has identified the woman who was killed in a Sunday afternoon crash in Cornelia as 38-year-old Bobbie Lee Burns of Baldwin.
The two-vehicle wreck was reported at 1:08 p.m. on Highway 365 southbound at the Level Grove Road exit.
A white Jeep Cherokee driven by Burns was traveling south in the left lane, while a Kia Optima driven by 33-year-old Stephanie Free of Flowery Branch was traveling south in the right lane.
Sgt. D.F. Lunsford of Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa described how the wreck happened.
Lunsford said Burns "misjudged the clearance as she was merging in from the left lane to the right lane. The right rear quarter panel struck the left front of Vehicle 2 [the Kia]."
Impact sent the Jeep spinning across the right southbound lane of Georgia 365, into the gore area, and onto the exit ramp onto Level Grove Road, where it began to overturn.
"It overturned approximately three to four times, ejecting the driver," Lunsford said.
After ejecting Burns, the Jeep continued to overturn and struck a pine tree, rolling back onto its wheels and catching fire, Lunsford said.
"When it made impact with the tree and came back down, it caught fire and burnt part of it up," Lunsford said.
Burns was taken to Habersham Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Free's vehicle came to rest on the Level Grove exit ramp and she was not hurt, Lunsford said.
