Georgia Family Killed in Wrong-Way Crash; Community Mourns, Sets up GoFundMe

Randolph County, GA – A Georgia mother and her two children have died following a devastating crash with a wrong-way driver, authorities said. The tragedy unfolded on Jan. 14 along Highway 82, leaving the community in shock.

Bernedine Spann, 32, and her 13-year-old daughter, Ja’Leah Spann, were killed instantly when their Honda Accord collided with a Hyundai Tucson driven by Sheria Goddard, who was reportedly traveling the wrong way. Jaxton Spann, 7, succumbed to his injuries several days later.

Georgia State Patrol said that Goddard and a passenger in her vehicle were hospitalized following the crash. Investigators said Goddard was under the influence at the time, though charges have not yet been announced.

Ja’Leah, an eighth grader at Randolph County Middle School, was remembered as a girl who “touched many hearts,” while her brother, Jaxton, a student at Randolph County Elementary School, brought “joy, light and warmth” to his peers, the school district said.

The district called on the community to support one another during this difficult time. “As a community, let us lean on one another, extend grace, and hold fast to faith as we walk through this season of mourning together. May God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds,” the district said.

“Bernedine also leaves behind another son, who was not in the vehicle at the time of the accident and is now grieving the devastating loss of his mother, brother, and sister,” Rodney Coleman wrote on a GoFundMe page established for the family to help with funeral expenses and support for Bernedine Spann’s surviving son.

The tragedy has left the Randolph County community grappling with profound grief as it mourns the loss of a mother and her two children.