LaGRANGE — A woman was killed and a man thrown from a vehicle early Saturday morning when it slammed into a small tree and sign, overturning on Lafayette Parkway near Davis Road.

The 2002 Ford Explorer was eastbound on Lafayette Parkway when it sped through a light and lost control about 4:45 a.m. Saturday, according to a witness on the scene.

“He made the red light, it was red when he (passed) me,” said a tractor-trailer driver who identified himself as Frankie Dearing with GFA trucking, who was heading to Savannah from LaGrange. The SUV passed “another car, he hit the dip (at the intersection), it was running so fast, it skipped and he couldn’t straighten it back out. He went off the road … he hit the tree, when he hit the tree, the tree throwed (the SUV) into the sign.”

Dearing said he saw a man thrown from the vehicle before it hit the road and “exploded.” He said firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extract the woman.

LaGrange Police Officer Wesley Engle said the man, identified as Rodney Dunlap of LaGrange, was taken by ambulance to Columbus Medical Center for his injuries. The woman, identified as Tiffany Boddie, 33, of LaGrange, was killed.

Coroner Jeff Cook confirmed that Boddie’s family had been notified of the incident Saturday morning, and Engle said Dunlap’s family also had been notified.

Engle said Saturday morning police had not determined which of the victims was driving the vehicle.

“There is going be an investigation and possibly pending charges to that, at this time we don’t know. We’re conducting an investigation right now,” he said at the scene Saturday morning.

Witnesses said the car was driving erratically and at high speed.

“They were traveling eastbound, and according to witnesses, changing lanes pretty erratically,” Engle said.

Dearing said the SUV sped past his 18-wheeler and another vehicle.

“They were speeding,” he said firmly. “Wasn’t no ifs about it.”

Cook said an autopsy for Boddie will be conducted at a later date.