ATLANTA, GEORGIA — With heavy hearts, family, friends, and community members are mourning the loss of Anthony Angeles, 19, who died following a crash involving a Georgia State Patrol vehicle early Monday morning.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, troopers were in the area of Kilman Drive and Bibb Boulevard responding to reports of illegal stunt driving involving multiple vehicles that had been moving between locations overnight.

Authorities said several vehicles fled when troopers arrived. During the response, a GSP Crime Suppression Unit K9 Trooper traveling through the intersection of Mountain Industrial Boulevard and Hugh Howell Road collided with a GMC pickup truck.

Both vehicles caught fire following the collision. The trooper and K9 escaped through a window, and the trooper immediately went to assist the people inside the pickup.

Anthony was a passenger in the pickup. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died. The driver of the truck was also taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

Behind the details of this tragic event is the loss of a young life and a family now facing an unimaginable goodbye.

The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is investigating the crash and the circumstances leading up to it.

The agency’s Office of Professional Standards is also conducting an administrative review of the response, including the actions of the troopers involved and whether applicable policies and procedures were followed.

In keeping with standard agency policy, the trooper involved in the crash has been placed on administrative leave while the reviews are underway.

Authorities have said they will continue to provide information as the investigations establish the facts. The crash has raised difficult questions, and the State Patrol has stated that it is committed to transparency and accountability during the review process.