Two men who tried to flee from the scene of an accident on Thursday learned just how effective new Carroll County Emergency Management drones are in assisting agencies in just such situations. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a two-vehicle accident with injuries at the intersection of 140th Street and Olympic Avenue, east of Mt. Carmel, at approximately 2:54 p.m. A 1990 Buick LeSabre, driven by 24-year-old Kole Alexander Higgins of Scranton, was northbound on Olympic Avenue when it struck a truck in the uncontrolled intersection with 140th Street. The 2002 Chevrolet K1500 was driven by 54-year-year-old Teresa Ann Snyder of Lake City. A passenger in her vehicle, 77-year-old Florence Irene Free of Lake City, sustained injuries and was transported to St. Anthony Regional Hospital by private vehicle. Authorities were notified when they arrived on the scene that Higgins and another man in the Buick had left on foot. Two farm sites were searched, but authorities did not locate the men. Deputies then deployed one of the county’s new drones, but an officer with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) located them about a mile from the crash site. The drone was used as “air watch” until a second officer arrived to assist. Higgins and 23-year-old Trevor Baugh of Jefferson were arrested and transported to the Carroll County jail. Higgins is charged with driving while barred and both are charged with failure to report a personal injury accident. There was an estimated $6,500 in damage to the K1500 and $800 to the LeSabre. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
