A local teenager was flown to an Atlanta children’s hospital after being trapped in a crushed pickup truck for nearly two hours Monday night.

According to authorities, the 13-year-old girl was a passenger in a Ford F-150 that struck a power pole near Harmony Church Road and Ga. 400 just after 11 p.m.

The collision followed a minor hit-and-run incident in the parking lot of the nearby Kroger shopping center, authorities said.
The truck’s driver, 20-year-old Alan Dire of Dawsonville, faces many traffic charges after the wreck.

“One of the charges he faces is driving with an expired license,” said Dawson County Sheriff’s Capt. Tony Wooten. “We believe that may have been why he fled the scene.”

According to Wooten, Dire left the parking lot and was spotted on Ga. Highway 53 by a deputy who followed him onto Lumpkin Campground Road.

The pickup left the road after crossing Ga. 400 and crashed into the power pole, which knocked out service to the surrounding area for hours.

Emergency workers could not immediately free the girl from the truck, Wooten said, because it was up against the live power pole.

“She was pinned in the vehicle for approximately an hour and a half and then airlifted,” Wooten said. “She did sustain serious injuries at that time, but they didn’t appear to be life threatening.”

Dire, who is being held at the Dawson County jail, faces charges that include serious injury by vehicle, improper lane change and reckless driving.

He also has been charged with hit and run, driving too fast for conditions and driving while license expired.
Utility crews worked into the morning to restore power service to the area.

“They’ve been here all night,” Wooten said Tuesday.