Inmate killed, deputy injured in crash
By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com

Burke County Sheriff Greg Coursey and Richmond County Lt. Frank Tiller, left, inspect the accident scene on Highway 56 South.

A Richmond County inmate was killed Tuesday morning when a tractor-trailer slammed into the patrol car carrying him and another prisoner.

Landrell Marquette Kyler, 21, was pronounced dead shortly after he and fellow inmate Justyn Brandon Creque, 19, were ejected into a nearby field.

According to Burke County Sheriff Greg Coursey, the Richmond County deputy, Danny Key, had to be cut from the cruiser, which was on its roof.

Officers were called to the intersection of Highway 56 South and Rosier/Byne Sushine Road around 8:15 a.m. when the trucker, Shandrell Antonio Morgan, ran the stop sign and crashed into the passenger side of the patrol car.

The car was knocked about 50 yards off the highway, flipping several times in the process.

Key and Creque were transported to MCG Health, and by Tuesday afternoon Key had been discharged.

Information was not available on Creque, but, according to the accident report, his injuries appeared to be serious.

Morgan was transported to Burke Medical Center with minor injuries.

Deputy Key was taking the inmates to a detention center in Treutlen County when the accident occurred.

The trucker told deputies that heavy fog prevented him from seeing the stop sign. He apparently locked up his wheels just before reaching the intersection, but couldn't stop in time.