Five family members injured in Sunday afternoon wreck

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

Five members of one family were injured in a Sunday afternoon wreck at the intersection of North Expressway and Highway 92.

Three of those injured were children, the youngest being only one-week-old.

According to Sgt. Matt McFarlan, of the Griffin Police Department Uniform Patrol Division, the wreck occurred when a driver allegedly failed to stop at a red light.

A 52-year-old female driver, who authorities are not yet identifying, was traveling southbound on North Expressway in a Pontiac Montana when it struck a Nissan Altima.

“A vehicle (the Pontiac Montana) was traveling southbound on North Expressway towards that major intersection,” said Sgt. Matt McFarland. “They approached the traffic light and according to witnesses, the light turned red and the green arrows came out for the people on 92 that were going to be turning left to go northbound on North Expressway…They had the green arrow and the Nissan Altima pulled out to travel northbound, and the lady who was in the (Montana) minivan attempted to beat the light and the light turned red. She broadsided the Nissan Altima perfectly between the pillars between the driver’s and rear passenger’s door.”

Officer Dawn Storm was the primary officer at the scene, and she reported details of the injuries.

“The father, which was the (Nissan’s) driver, he was flown to Atlanta Medical with chest and neck injuries. I actually have just found out he actually has been discharged,” Storm said Sunday evening. “A three-year-old little boy who was behind him – both he (the father) and the little boy were on the impact side, on the driver’s side – he was also transported by Lifeflight to Egleston. The little boy had an apparent leg injury and a possible head injury.”

The youngest victim, a newborn baby, was transported to Atlanta by Spalding Regional Hospital Emergency Medical Services.

“There was a one-week-old baby girl all the way on the opposite side of the little boy – she was in the rear passenger seat – she was in her car seat and she was taken via ambulance to Egleston for unknown injuries,” Storm said. “There was another girl – a nine-year-old – who was sitting in between the two. She had a hip injury and you could see on her neck where she had her seat belt on where she had abrasions and bruises. She was transported by ambulance to Spalding (Regional Hospital).”

Later Sunday evening, Storm confirmed the two youngest victims have been admitted to Egleston Children’s Hospital for ongoing treatment of their injuries.

The Altima’s only adult female occupant – the children’s mother – also sustained injuries, but refused treatment. Storm reported she complained of head pain, and bruises and abrasions were visible.

“She refused treatment. She was more concerned about her kids,” she said.

The mother rode in the ambulance with her nine-year-old daughter, and members of the family’s church, who were traveling behind the Altima, were able to immediately go to Egleston to be with the two youngest victims.

Storm said the fact that all five Altima passengers were restrained, along with the vehicle’s side-impact airbags, contributed to them not sustaining more extensive injuries.

The Pontiac Montana’s driver was cited with failure to obey a traffic control device.