Infant daughter survives crash that killed her father, injured mom

fatal accident

New details are emerging about the wreck in Rabun County Wednesday that claimed the life of a Nebraska man. The Georgia State Patrol has confirmed to Now Habersham that the couple’s infant daughter was in the car with her parents at the time of the crash.

According to Deanna Poss of Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa, the child was “properly restrained in her car seat, uninjured.”

At 8:06 a.m. on April 5, state troopers responded to the crash on GA 2 at Dick’s Creek outside of Clayton.

According to the accident report, Jennifer Rzonca of North Platte, Nebraska, was driving a Ford Explorer eastbound on GA 2 when the vehicle ran off the road in a curve and struck a tree on the passenger side. The crash killed her husband, 40-year-old Douglas Rzonca.

Family members say the Rzoncas were on their way to visit relatives and were less than an hour away from their destination when the accident occurred. They say Jennifer told them she fell asleep at the wheel; however, the Georgia State Patrol has not confirmed that. The agency’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) is still investigating, says Poss.

Jennifer Rzonca sustained minor injuries in the wreck. EMS transported her to Mountain Lakes Medical Center in Clayton for treatment.

The state patrol’s preliminary accident report states the 30-year-old Rzonca was “traveling too fast for the curve.” Troopers charged her with second-degree vehicular homicide, failure to exercise due care, and failure to maintain lane.

The family’s dog, Dru, disappeared after the wreck. Relatives are now searching for him. They’re asking anyone with information to please call them at 864-710-0725 or 864-865-9290.

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