Friday Morning Crash Kills One

CLAYTON — An early-morning wreck Friday in Clayton claimed the life of a man and seriously injured his wife and daughter.

Dustin Thomas Duhamell, 25, of Franklin, N.C., died when the gold 2002 Mercury Sable he was riding in turned left from Georgia 15 (U.S. 441) southbound to enter the driveway at Ingles and was struck in the passenger door by a green 1999 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck about 6:30 a.m., said Sr. Trooper John Crawford of Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa.

Duhamell had to be freed from the wreckage and was pronounced dead at Mountain Lakes Medical Center, Crawford said.

The car was driven by Ashley Duhamell, 25, of Franklin, N.C., who was seriously injured and was flown to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment. Crawford said at last report she was in critical but stable condition.

The couple’s 3-year-old daughter was properly restrained in a tethered child safety seat in the backseat of the car, but was injured and was flown by a Life Force medical helicopter to Greenville for treatment.

All occupants in the Duhamell car were properly restrained, Crawford said, adding co-workers of Dustin Duhamell said the family recently moved to Mountain City but had not yet changed their address.

The driver of the pickup truck, 70-year-old George Willie Ivester of Clarkesville, was not restrained and suffered a cut resulting from airbag deployment, according to Crawford. He was not transported for treatment.

Any charges in the wreck are pending, Crawford said.