A memorial service was held today for a Habersham County woman who died in a van crash on Interstate 985 in Gwinnett County.
Kristie Whitfield of Mt. Airy was killed along with five other passengers when the van they were in rolled over near the I-85/I-985 split Saturday. Ten others in the van were injured.
On April 28, Gwinnett Police arrested Monica Manire for reckless driving and six counts of first-degree vehicular homicide. They also charged Manire with improper lane change and four counts of serious injury by vehicle.
“Investigators believe that Manire made a reckless change of lanes from I-85 to I-985, which caused the van she was driving to flip on its side,” Gwinnett Police said Thursday in a statement. Officers arrested the 32-year-old Manire and booked her into the Gwinnett County Jail.
A terrifying scene
Police released copies of the 911 calls from Saturday night. They relay a horrifying image of the deadly crash.
One eyewitness told emergency dispatchers, “The van tried to go from 85 to 985, hit the bank, and flipped.”
Other callers frantically described the scene. “There’s an explosion and a fire on the highway near mile marker 113.”
“There are people being pulled out of the car; it’s on fire.”
The van belonged to a residential addiction recovery center in Lawrenceville. The group was on its way to a meeting when the accident happened.
Police released the following names of the other five who died:
Alishia Carroll, 34, Columbus
Ashleigh Paris, 26, Kennesaw
Tina Rice, 53, Atlanta
Normisha Monroe, 38, Norcross
Rose Patrick, 34, Ellabell
