The Georgia State Patrol has charged a Gainesville driver with DUI following a three-vehicle wreck Thursday afternoon in Tallulah Falls. Troopers say 21-year-old Emanuel Leonardo Mendoza caused the wreck that injured him and six others.
The wreck happened around 2 p.m. on April 14 on GA 15/US 441 at the Tallulah Falls dam in Rabun County.
According to the crash report, Mendoza was driving a Chevrolet Camaro south on the highway when he drifted into the lefthand turn lane and struck a northbound Dodge Caravan on the front right side. After impact, Mendoza’s car spun around and came to an uncontrolled stop in the turn lane.
The van, driven by 17-year-old Eric Allagnon of College Park, rotated clockwise and was struck in the right front quarter panel by a northbound Chevy Tahoe. Both vehicles came to an uncontrolled rest in the southbound lanes.
The wreck injured all three drivers and four passengers. Due to the high number of patients, Habersham County Emergency Services responded to assist the Tallulah Falls Fire Department.
“[We] transported two patients with non-life-threatening injuries to Habersham Medical and one to an awaiting landing zone with severe injuries to be airlifted to Northeast Georgia Medical Center,” says HCES Capt. Matt Ruark.
The state patrol says Mendoza was the one airlifted. Ambulances transported the others to area hospitals including Allagnon and three 17-year-old passengers in the van – Elizabeth Yu of College Park and Olivia Moore and Jordan Tovin of Atlanta. Also transported were the Tahoe driver and his passenger – 71-year-old Robert Guess and 70-year-old Karen Guess, both of Demorest.
In addition to DUI, the state patrol charged Mendoza with other traffic offenses.
This article has been updated with additional information
