An early morning wreck on Nov. 14 led to five people transported to area hospitals, including three young children.
Georgia State Patrol reports that Fredina Elrod, 62, of Gainesville, was traveling toward Dawsonville on Hwy. 53 just before 7 a.m. when she crashed into Eugene Hintz, 48, of Cumming. Hintz was traveling in the opposite direction. Elrod was traveling with three children in the vehicle.
Dawson County Emergency Services transported the three children ages 6, 4 and 2 years to Scottish Rite in Atlanta. DCES Director Billy Thurmond confirmed that Forsyth County assisted in transporting Elrod to Northeast Georgia.
One of the children was injured critically, Thurmond said. As of press time, updates to the conditions of the children were unknown.
Elrod was discharged from the hospital early that same afternoon.
GSP reports that Hintz was taken by other means to Northside Hospital-Forsyth. Hospital records did not show him as an in-patient the following day, Nov. 15.
Elrod was charged with failure to maintain lane, and also received a safety restraint violation of a child under the age of 8. GSP confirmed that the 6-year-old was not in a booster seat.
It appeared that in this case, they just crossed the center line, Thurmond said. I dont know why. Any number of things can cause that.
The accident happened in the area of Hwy. 53 and War Hill Park Road. This area was the location where, earlier in the year, an accident occurred involving local historian and retired educator Charles Finley. Finley passed away due to the injuries in that accident. His wife, Kathy, was also injured.
The other driver, Mickey Bunton, who was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide in the case, passed away in September.