Wrong-way driver: Crash kills 12-year-old and seriously injures 2 other kids

GRIFFIN, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A three-car collision claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl -- and drunk driving could be to blame, according to authorities.

A witness recalled Sunday's early morning crash, describing first a loud bang and then screaming cries.

"I couldn't believe anybody walked away from it," said Brandon Smith, who was working at a nearby restaurant at the time.

Smith helped pull drivers and passengers from the cars.

"I saw smoke, I heard babies crying, I saw the kids laying everywhere in the car," Smith recalled. "I just wanted to get them out, that's all I wanted to do."

Preliminary information from Henry County Police indicated a wrong way driver was traveling north in the southbound lanes on Highway 19/41. The at-fault driver, in a pick-up truck, collided with two cars, sending everyone involved except a 2-year-old passenger to the hospital.

One of the cars involved contained a mother and her four children, according to family friends. The 2-year-old remarkably only sustained scratches, but the other passengers were not so lucky. Police told FOX 5 News a 9- and 11-year-old remain in serious condition. Their sister, Jacie Webb, 12, died from her injuries sustained in the crash.

"She was an absolute bright ray of sunshine, and there's going to be a hole left where she has been," said Laura Forehand, a family friend of the Webb family and Jacie's former music teacher.

The wrong way driver is in serious condition in the hospital and has not been charged, but police are investigating the case as a possible DUI.

"We can be angry, we can be mad all we want to, but in the end, that's between them and God," said Karen Davis, another family friend.

In the meantime, residents are pouring their energy into helping the family, organizing a memorial baseball tournament in Jacie's honor through partnerships with organizations like the Leland Shoemake Foundation.

'This is what our kids want to do to help with raising money for the family," Davis said. "We want to be able to show them that our community comes together when our families are in need."

You can learn more about the Webb family and how you can help here.