HIAWASSEE, Ga. — A Barrow County firefighter and several of his family members were involved in a tragic crash while heading home from a Georgia water park last Friday.
The crash happened on July 7 around 1 p.m. in Hiwassee, Georgia, along Hwy 75 S at Walls Mountain Road, according to a social media post from the Towns County Sheriff's Office.
A dump truck loaded with gravel was heading north on the highway when one of its tires blew out. The sheriff's office said that's when the truck drove into the southbound lanes and hit two cars head-on. All of the vehicles went off the road and down an embankment, deputies said.
One person died at the scene, one adult and two children were airlifted by helicopter critically hurt, the sheriff's office said. The Towns County Sheriff said Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash.
Barrow County Emergency Services wrote on social media that one of its firefighters was involved in the crash. An online fundraiser verified by 11Alive said it was Jeremy Dalton who was heading home with his 11-year-old son, 10-year-old cousin and his father-in-law, Mark.
The online fundraiser states Mark tragically passed away at the scene. Jeremy was life-flighted to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. His 11-year-old son and 10-year-old cousin were both flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite for medical treatment.
Jeremy has since been released from the hospital, but his 11-year-old son is currently in the ICU with a head injury and his 10-year-old cousin is also still in the hospital recovering, according to the online fundraiser.
"Please keep their family in your thoughts and prayers as they are with his son, who is fighting for his life," Barrow County EMS wrote.
In the coming weeks, the online fundraiser said the Dalton family will have medical bills from being life-flighted and staying in the hospital. If you'd like to donate, click here.
