CARNESVILLE—A coroner says a 3-year-old child was among the seven people killed in a chain-reaction crash in northern Georgia.
The wreck occurred Saturday about 80 miles northeast of Atlanta on Interstate 85, not far from its approach to the Georgia state line with South Carolina.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office told news outlets Sunday that three people were killed in one vehicle. They were 33-year-old Chris Years, 34-year-old Ashley Years, and 3-year-old Luna Years. They lived in Paulding County.
Four people were killed in another vehicle. They were 53-year-old Alejandro Agis Perez, 39-year-old Noe Gutierrez Cerna, 25-year-old Oswaldo F. Hi Navarrete and 36-year-old Eugenio Santoyo Serna. They were from Hall County.
The Crash
The police statement said a northbound Ford Excursion crossed the median for unknown reasons and entered the southbound lanes of the normally bustling interstate.
There, police said, that SUV struck a Chevrolet van that was headed south, causing a chain-reaction crash in the southbound lanes that also involved a Ford van in a nearby lane. The impact of the collisions sent debris flying that also caused minor damage to two additional vehicles, according to the statement.
All four occupants of the Chevrolet were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. No one in the Ford van was reported hurt.
Cellphone images obtained by news outlets showed mangled vehicles on the roadway after the crash.
A wrong-way car crash on a Georgia highway leaves 7 dead https://t.co/5SpPrpWYn7
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) July 8, 2019
A Ford Excursion was traveling north on Interstate 85 when it crossed over the median and struck a Chevrolet van traveling south.https://t.co/9KQ27kJXIX
— KFI AM 640 (@KFIAM640) July 7, 2019
Fatal Car Crash Statistics
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, analyzing data from the Department of Transportation, there were 37,133 deaths from car accidents in 2017, the last year full data is available for. The deaths occurred across 34,247 fatal motor vehicle accidents.
The number means 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.16 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, although those numbers can vary widely across states.
“Dangerous actions such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence are still putting many Americans, their families and those they share the road with at risk,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Heidi King in a statement.
“Additionally, we must address the emerging trend of drug-impaired driving to ensure we are reducing traffic fatalities and keeping our roadways safe for the traveling public.”
