CLEVELAND - A five-car wreck in the Leaf community east of Cleveland sent three people to area hospitals Wednesday morning.
Trooper 1st Class J.S. Munger of Georgia State Patrol Post 6 in Gainesville said the wreck happened at 7:20 a.m. on Georgia Highway 115 East between Poultry Road and Duncan Bridge Road (Georgia 384).
According to Munger, a 2006 Toyota Tacoma four-door pickup truck driven by a 16-year-old Cleveland teen was headed westbound toward Cleveland on Georgia 115. The four other vehicles involved were traveling east toward Clarkesville on Georgia 115.
Munger described what happened as follows:
The Toyota truck crossed the centerline and struck a white 2011 Honda Civic, driven by 31-year-old Kimber Hester of Cleveland, in a side-swipe manner. Hester suffered a minor injury but was not transported for treatment.
The Toyota truck then struck a blue 1998 Ford Ranger pickup truck, driven by 33-year-old Rebecca Rogers of Baldwin, head-on in the eastbound lane. The Ford Ranger overturned onto the south shoulder of the highway. Rogers was taken by AirLife Georgia 2 medical helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center, where Munger said she is in critical but stable condition.
A blue 2004 Toyota Celica, driven by 39-year-old Jennifer Jones of Carnesville, then struck the Toyota truck in the right side with its front. Jones was taken by White County ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment of a broken foot, Munger said.
A Mazda CX-9 sport utility vehicle, driven by 24-year-old Saul Fernandez of Baldwin, struck the Toyota Celica on the left side with its right front in a side-swipe manner. Fernandez complained of a minor injury but was not taken for treatment.
The teen driver of the Toyota truck was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of a minor injury and evaluation, Munger said.
The drivers of the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger (Rogers) and Toyota Celica (Jones) all were trapped and had to be exticated by White County Fire Services personnel.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team also responded to investigate.
Georgia 115 was shut down in the area for about three hours. Personnel from the Georgia Department of Transportation and White County Sheriff's Office assisted with traffic control during the three-hour period.
