Fiery wreck in northeast Atlanta leaves driver dead

ATLANTA - A fiery crash in northeast Atlanta early Thursday morning left a driver dead, and debris from the car spread across a wide area.

Police say the driver of a Honda lost control and crashed while heading east on Ponce De Leon Avenue. Witnesses said the car hit a brick wall, slammed into a pole and then burst into flames. The car, which was ripped into three pieces, came to rest near the front entrance to a Kroger store.

The front and rear drivers' side doors were sheared off, ending up in the Kroger parking lot. The driver died at the scene.

Police say it's possible the driver was involved in an earlier hit and run accident.  Officers say the car might have side-swiped another vehicle and then sped away. The accident remains under investigation. The road re-opened to traffic shortly after the crash.