Crash with Injuries in the City of Lavonia  

By Sgt. J.R. Dean of the Georgia State Patrol Post 52 in Hartwell

On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at approximately 1:40 p.m., Georgia State Patrol Troopers from Post 52 in Hartwell responded to a crash with an injury in the private drive of 350 Brookwood Drive in Lavonia.  The preliminary crash investigation revealed a gray 2017 Honda Civic, driven by 64-year-old Julianne Meeks Mitchell of Lavonia, was backing westbound, and a blue 2017 Nissan Rogue, driven by 49-year-old Deirdre Hope Zanoni of Toccoa, was parked, facing west, in the private drive.  While Zanoni was attempting to unload a United States Postal Service package to deliver to the address, Mitchell improperly backed up, pinning her between the two vehicles. Zanoni was subsequently transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with non-life-threatening injuries.  The crash remains under investigation.