Eight people were ejected and two children seriously injured when the SUV they were in overturned several times Saturday evening in Walton County.
A 2001 Dodge Durango, carrying 10 family members and friends, was southbound on Preston Road when the driver, Jeremy Gillstrap Sr., apparently lost control of the SUV, Gordy Wright, spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said late Saturday. Charges are pending against Gillstrap, Wright said.
Gillstrap, 26, traveled onto the shoulder, then over-corrected, sending the SUV across the roadway and causing it to overturn several times, Wright said. Gillstrap and two children in booster seats were not seriously injured, Wright said.
Seven people, all between the ages of 2 and 19, were transported to various hospitals for treatment, Wright said.
Matthew Gillstrap, 11, Jeremy Gillstrap Jr., 6, and Grady Gillstrap, 4, were all flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Lindsay Garrett, 17, Jessie Morgan, 19, and Taylor Hendrix, 17, were transported to Athens Regional Medical Center. Lydia Gillstrap, 2, was taken to Walton Medical Center.
Matthew and Lindsay sustained the most serious injuries, Wright said.
Everyone in the SUV was from the Monroe area, about 45 miles east of Atlanta.
About the Author
