Update published 2:25 p.m. Friday:
A Commerce church and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office are both mourning the loss of the woman killed in Thursday's fatal crash.
Adam Boldin, Operations Pastor for New Grace Church, said Jenifer Nicole "Nikki" Vickery, age 45 of Commerce, had been a long-time staff member with the church.
"We're all affected by (Vickery's death) and our main prayers and thoughts are going out to her husband and their children who she's left behind now," Boldin said Friday afternoon. "She was a ray of sunshine to everyone she came in contact with."
Boldin said Vickery had worked as a children's ministry leader and connections coordinator for the church.
Thursday, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office posted on its social media page that the wife of one of its deputies had passed away. Boldin confirmed that post was in reference to Vickery.
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the tragic passing of one of our own's spouse from a motor vehicle accident (Thursday) morning," the post by the sheriff's office said. "Please pray for this deputy & family during this most difficult of times."
Details of the crash released by the Georgia State Patrol can be found below in the originally published article.
Original story published 1:45 p.m. Friday:
A woman from Commerce was killed on Thursday, Jan. 2 after a two-vehicle crash in Jackson County.
The Georgia State Patrol said a trooper responded at around 8:36 a.m. to the intersection of Georgia 15 and Georgia 326 to reports of a crash with serious injuries.
Preliminary details indicate that Christopher Wayne Bennett, 53, of Commerce, was driving a Ford F-150 south in the right lane of Georgia 15 as it approached its intersection with Georgia 326
A Ford Explorer driven by Jenifer Nicole Vickery, 45, of Commerce was traveling west on Georgia 326 attempting to cross Georgia 15 and continue west on Georgia 326.
“The Explorer failed to yield to the F-150 and was struck by the front of the F-150 in its passenger side doors,” GSP officials said.
The Explorer was pushed to the right shoulder of southbound traffic, which caused it to overturn.
Vickery was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with life-threatening injuries and later died from her injuries.
