A Baldwin teen died as a result of a two-vehicle wreck outside Cornelia Wednesday morning and the driver of the other vehicle faces first-degree vehicular homicide charges.
Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa was notified of the wreck, on Camp Creek Road near Wilson Road, at 7:53 a.m.
The investigation revealed that a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 37-year-old Cherrie M. Pulido of Mt. Airy was traveling south on Camp Creek Road and Pulido failed to maintain her lane, crossed the centerline and traveled into the northbound lane of Camp Creek Road, said Sgt. 1st Class Chad Johnson of GSP Post 7.
After crossing into the opposing lane, Pulido’s Jeep struck a 2001 Ford F150 pickup truck driven by Carlos Christo Morales, 17, of Baldwin, that was traveling north on Camp Creek Road. Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles due to the damage from impact, Johnson said.
Morales received extensive medical treatment at the scene and was airlifted from the scene to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries, Johnson said.
Two other teenage occupants of the truck, identified as Morales’ brother Obertino Morales, 15, and a cousin, Jose Jimenez Castro, 15, of Baldwin, were taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for treatment of what Johnson said were not serious or life-threatening injuries.
Pulido was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where she is being treated for serious injuries as of Wednesday afternoon, Johnson said.
In addition to first-degree vehicular homicide, Pulido also is charged by GSP with driving under the influence, failure to maintain lane, driver to exercise due care and tire requirements (slick tires), Johnson said.
The GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is assisting the with the crash investigation.
The teens involved all were 2019-2020 students at Habersham Central High School. The school system, working in conjunction with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, quickly put into place a school support system to assist students, faculty and staff in coping with this tragedy.
