DEMOREST, Ga. — Two young children were among several people injured Sunday in a three-vehicle crash in Demorest. The wreck occurred just before noon on Cannon Bridge Road/GA 105 near the Torch Worship Center.
According to a Georgia State Patrol crash report, a 2016 Ford Fusion driven by James Edward Vandiver, 28, of Toccoa, was traveling north on GA 105 when it struck the rear of a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. The Tiguan, driven by Jonathon Carter Simmons, 16, of Mount Airy, was stopped in traffic waiting to turn left into the church parking lot.
The impact forced Simmons’ vehicle across the centerline, where it collided with a southbound 2024 Chevrolet Trax driven by Lisa Amanda Kolhagen, 38, of Cornelia. Vandiver’s car came to rest off the road, while Simmons’ and Kolhagen’s vehicles went down an embankment.
According to GSP, the drivers and their passengers were evaluated for injuries after the crash. Habersham EMS transported three of them to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Habersham, including Simmons and a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old in Vandiver’s vehicle.
A 7-year-old passenger in Simmons’ car and the two other drivers were not transported.
Habersham County deputies and EMS responded within minutes, with state troopers arriving shortly after to investigate. Deputies reported the road was blocked and traffic diverted for about 45 minutes until the wreckage was cleared.
Troopers cited Vandiver for following too closely.
