3 members of Georgia family killed, 5-year-old fighting for her life after Virginia crash

WYTHE COUNTY, Va. — Three members of a northwest Georgia family, including a 2-year-old boy, were killed in a head-on crash in Virginia last week.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The crash happened on Interstate 81 southbound near Wytheville around 2:45 p.m. Friday.

According to the Virginia State Police, a 2017 Ford Transit E-350 passenger van rear-ended a tractor-trailer that was stopped in traffic.

There were seven members of the same family, who are from Tunnel Hill, Georgia, in the passenger van. Tunnel Hill is in Whitfield County.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Beloved dog of trucker shot on I-75 found safe, will be reunited with family
• Mistake by DA’s office could free man accused of kidnapping, raping Gwinnett woman
• Get ready: New metro Atlanta area code is coming soon

Mark Williams, 52, was ejected from the van and died at the scene. Brittany Puckett, 25, and a her 2-year-old son Matthew also died at the scene. Williams and Puckett were not wearing seat belts. Matthew was secured in a car seat.

The driver, 31-year-old Christina Williams, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Maryann Bracci, 18, was also seriously injured. Christina Williams and Bracci were both wearing seat belts. A 5-year-old girl was also taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Stacey Puckett, Brittany Puckett’s aunt, identified the 5-year-old as Luna Zuniga. She said the child is in critical condition and fighting for her life with a traumatic brain injury.

“Luna’s outcome was bad and they kept preparing us, saying she wasn’t going to survive. But she’s a fighter. She needs all the prayers,” Stacey Puckett said.

Stacey Puckett said Christina Williams is Puckett’s stepsister and Bracci is her younger sister.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Puckett’s 7-year-old daughter was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Investigators said both of the children were in age-appropriate safety restraints.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.

The Virginia State Police are still investigating the crash.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral and medical expenses.

Plane crashes into tractor-trailer on North Carolina highway (NCD)

©2022 Cox Media Group