Details continue to emerge in the fatal wreck that killed a 29-year-old woman and 5-year-old boy Friday in south Habersham County. The two were fatally injured when the van they were riding in along with three other family members was broadsided while attempting to cross over GA 365 South at Mt. Zion Road.
Family members say the child was the nephew of the woman who died. The wreck injured his mother, 9-month-old brother, and another relative who was driving.
The fatal crash happened just before 6 p.m. Friday, October 29, on GA 365 South.
Initial reports from Habersham County Emergency Services said that the baby died. HCES Director Chad Black confirms the infant survived the crash and was transported to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment.
Troopers say Denise Wade, 26, of Alto, failed to yield and pulled into the path of the oncoming southbound E150 van. EMS transported her and her family members to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville where her sister and nephew were later pronounced dead. The injured infant was transferred on to Atlanta from NGMC, Black tells Now Habersham.
The driver of the van, Jose Verduzco, 53, of Redwood City, California, and his passenger, Jose Loza-Pidilla, 51, of Lawrenceville, both complained of injuries, according to the Georgia State Patrol. EMS did not transport them to the hospital.
The wreck shut down the southbound lanes of GA 365 near the crash scene for three hours. The State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is assisting with the investigation. Troopers say charges are pending.
This latest tragedy comes nearly six years to the day that another of the Wade sisters was fatally injured in a flash fire in Cleveland. Autumn Wade was just 22 when she passed away from her injuries on November 6, 2015.
