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By Matt Aiken & Matthew Osborne / The Nugget & The Northeast Georgian ----------------- The Lumpkin County community is in mourning after a pair of tragic automobile accidents last week. On Thursday a wreck in the waters of the Chestatee River claimed the life of local three year old Rocky Rae Barron, while an accident in Habersham County resulted in the deaths of 29-year-old Dahlonega mother Avonlea Holtzclaw, her two children, a Marietta man and an unnamed victim on Sunday.
“I would ask for thoughts and prayers for all those involved,” said Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard on Monday afternoon.
On Thursday evening, the young daughter of Jay Dee and Cadie Barron was killed in a single vehicle accident in the Copper Ridge subdivision, according to officials with the Georgia State Patrol.
“The investigation determined that a 2018 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk was entering a private drive in the area of Whitewater Trail,” stated a GSP release. “As the driver was turning into the driveway, the tires traveled off the driveway, causing the vehicle to travel down a steep embankment. The vehicle struck the roadway of Whitewater Trail and then traveled down a second embankment and overturned into the Chestatee River, entrapping the adult driver and three juveniles.”
The driver, Cadie Barron, suffered minor injuries. The child died on the scene.
The accident is currently being investigated by the GSP and no charges are expected, said officials.
On Sunday afternoon near Alto, a Ford Explorer driven by Avonlea Holtzclaw, 29, of Dahlonega was hit by a Corvette driving in excess of a reported 150 mph while crossing Highway 365 on Mt. Zion Road. Both cars exploded and caught on fire, killing all passengers.
Holtzclaw was driving with her children, 6 and 5 years old, respectively.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch confirmed that the victims were the family of Hall County Deputy Patrick Neil Holtzclaw, a former LCSO deputy, and pledged to support him in the coming days, weeks and months.
“What can you say when someone loses his entire family?” Couch said. “There are no words that can adequately express the heartbreak the Holtzclaw family is experiencing right now, but clearly our entire agency is devastated for them.”
Avonlea Holtzclaw was a horse enthusiast who recently earned a second degree from the Kineo Ministry Training Center in advanced Biblical studies.
Mitchell Boggs, 58, of Marietta, was the driver of the Corvette. He is survived by his wife Tonya of 32 years and they have four children.
An unidentified passenger riding with Boggs was also killed. Georgia State Patrol said Monday that the official crash report was not yet available.
HOW TO HELP
The parents of Rocky are both teachers at Lumpkin County High School. On Friday an LCHS Facebook post asked for prayers and provided information for anyone who would like to assist with funeral expenses.
“If you would like to donate to this sweet family for funeral expenses for their youngest daughter, please send checks to Lumpkin County High School with their name in the memo and we will get them to where it needs to go once arrangements are made,” stated the post.
Lauren Ruark also established a GoFundMe to assist with those expenses and medical bills.
“Everyone who knew Rocky can recall her laughing eyes, contagious smile, vivacious personality, and her kind-hearted soul. She was tragically taken far too early from her family,” stated Ruark. “… I am starting this fundraiser for anyone who feels inclined to contribute to help them cover funeral expenses and medical bills. Our family greatly appreciates any prayers and support for them during this difficult time.”
While a goal of $15,000 was set, the cause had raised more than $25,562 worth of donations with 344 different people contributing as of press-time. The account can be found by searching The Barron Family at gofundme.com.
On Tuesday, there were no established funds for the Holtzclaw family but readers can check into thedahloneganugget.com for further updates as they develop.
“We appreciate the many law enforcement agencies that have reached out asking how they can help,” said Couch. “If I know our community, they will want to offer support, too. For now, we ask that you remember Deputy Holtzclaw in your prayers and give him time to grieve privately.”
‘DANGEROUS ROAD’
Meanwhile officials in Habersham County are hoping to find a way to stop the next accident at the notoriously dangerous stretch of Highway 365.
Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell said the crash was like nothing he has ever seen.
“The car was moving at more than 100 mph,” said Terrell, who saw a video of the fiery crash. “Crossovers of that highway are the most dangerous thing we have to deal with in Habersham. We have cars flying through here going northbound from Atlanta that travel at ludicrous speeds, and they still have that mentality going back south. We have local folks just trying to go to church or go see Nana and Papa and it’s a dangerous road to travel with the volume of cars we have now. Visibility is poor, you have people fooling around on cell phones … it’s awful.”
Terrell said Monday that he has already contacted local legislators Reps. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia), Chris Erwin (R-Homer) and Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) to see if a meeting can be set up with local law enforcement and the Georgia Department of Transportation to see what can be done to make the highway safer.