A Long County woman was killed Thursday afternoon after the car she was driving struck a bridge guard rail.

According to Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Eric Wilkes, law enforcement and first responders were dispatched at 2:09 p.m. to the report of a wreck on the Lanier Bridge in Long County.

Wilkes said the initial report stated that the vehicle was on fire and that one person was trapped. The trooper said that upon emergency responders’ arrival, a woman identified by Long County Sheriff Craig Nobles as Kathleen Dasher was still in the vehicle, a late-model Chevrolet Malibu. He said there also was still a small fire under the car.

Wilkes said that the fire was extinguished, and then the firefighters cut the woman out of the car using the Jaws of Life. After she was removed, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Wilkes added that she was not wearing a seat belt.

Wilkes said a female who was traveling south on Lanier toward Ludowici witnessed the wreck. According to this witness, the Malibu was traveling north on Lanier Road, when it crossed the center line striking the guard rail of Lanier Bridge head-on. The witness called 911 to report the crash and then attempted to extinguish the fire and help the female who was trapped. Wilkes said that according to the witness, the driver of the car was unresponsive.

Wilkes said the investigation of the wreck was still in the early stages, so he could not state a cause of the wreck at this time. 

Other emergency units responding to the crash included the Ludowici/Long County Fire Department, Long County Sheriff’s Office, Long County EMS and Hinesville Fire Department.