CLEVELAND -- White County authorities have released information in connection with a weekend auto accident and subsequent incident in which a Cobb County man took his own life.
White County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Bob Ingram said the unidentified 43-year old male was stopped by a deputy for a traffic violation on Ga. 75 north of Cleveland.
The man told the deputy he was going to kill himself, Ingram said. The officer talked with the man for a while before he sped off.
Ingram said the officer followed the vehicle up Ga. 75, but did not attempt to stop him. The driver ran off the right side of the road and hit a concrete bridge south of Helen.
After the vehicle came to a stop in a ditch the man used a shotgun to take his life, Ingram said.
White County Coroner Ricky Barrett said the body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation State Crime Lab for an autopsy, but noted it was pretty clear what happened and there were witnesses who saw the man wreck and got out to help and then heard the gunshot.
The incident happened at 10:20 p.m. Saturday.
