Three well-known local teenagers, all graduates of Fannin County HighSchool, who were injured in a crash on Highway 515 Tuesday, January 12, are said to be recovering from their injuries.
Two of those teenagers were flown to Northeast Georgia Medical Center by Airlife helicopter and a third was taken to Union General Hospital by Union County EMS, according to the Georgia State Patrol report of the crash.
That report, filed by TFC James Martin, of Post 27 in Blue Ridge, identified Austin Belyeu, 18, as having possible injuries and taken to Union General.
Sydnie Jones, 19, who was trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated, and Campbell Cosentino, 18, were identified as having serious injuries and being airlifted.
Melinda Jones, Sydnie's mother, posted encouraging messages to Facebook regarding her daughter's condition throughout last weekend. Monday, she posted, "Sydnie is still making small strides to recovery! The Dr's are reducing the ventilator today because Sydnie is breathing on her own.
"Can't thank you enough for continued prayers and support."
Inge Cosentino, Campbell's mother, posted, "Another good day in the books," to her Facebook account Saturday.
She continued, "Campbell is now in Acute Care and was a tad more talkative during our visit."
Then Sunday she posted, "To say every step of this journey so far has been nothing short of a miracle would be an understatement...Today was amazing! Campbell is speaking a lot and has everyone in stitches."
She, too, asked for and expressed appreciation for continued prayers.
Belyeu has been discharged from Union General Hospital.
Meanwhile, friends are saying donations are being accepted to help with the expenses of both the Jones and Cosentino families.
Donations to help the Joneses can be made at United Community Bank in the name of Sydnie's parents, Anthony and Melinda Jones.
Donations to help the Cosentinos can be made in the name of Campbell's parents,
Mike and Inge Cosentino, at Bank of the Ozarks in Blue Ridge.
Jones, of Padena Drive in Morganton, and Consentino, of Snake Nation Road in Blue Ridge, were both passengers in an Audi Allroad driven by Belyeu.
The GSP report said Belyeu, of Pike Road in Ellijay, was traveling east on State Route 2 (Highway 515) and was turning onto State Route 325. Belyeu failed to yield the right of way at the intersection and entered the westbound side of the highway in front of a Ford F350 driven by Wiley Randall Bailey of Cedar Bluff, Alabama.
Martin’s report said the F350 struck the passenger side of Belyeu’s Audi in the right lane of the two west bound lanes of State Route 2. That collision caused the Audi to hit a third vehicle, a Nissan Armada, driven by Ashley Marie Dyer of Blairsville, who was stopped on State Route 325 at the intersection.
The report said, besides the drivers of the Ford and Nissan, there were seven passengers in the two vehicles. None of those nine occupants suffered any injuries. The report listed the passengers’ ages as ranging from 2 to 28. Young children were in both the Bailey’ and Dyer’ vehicles.
The crash occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. No citations were issued, according to the report.
The report said Belyeu’s and Bailey’s both suffered disabling damage while Dyer’s vehicle remained functional.