A 17 year old boy died Monday, after a head-on collision that injured the grandchildren of gubernatorial
candidate Roy Barnes. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Mario D. Zuniga of Kennesaw passed away from a head injury. Cobb police say he was behind the wheel of a Porsche Boxster and driving too fast on Sunday, when he swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting the mini-van carrying Allison Barnes Salter and her two children.
"We definitely know that speed was a factor in the crash, but we don’t know the exact speed,” said Cobb County police officer Joseph Hernandez. Police are still examining the teen's Porsche Boxster. They don't know if other factors, such as a cell phone, might have played a role.
The crash has taken a toll on three different families and four children. Barnes’ 4-year-old granddaughter, Ella, had surgery for a broken arm, according to Anna Ruth Williams, a spokeswoman for his campaign. His 7-year-old granddaughter, Lilly is out of the hospital. And a 16 year old boy, who was riding with Zuniga, had surgery to repair his leg.
Williams released this statement:
Roy and Marie appreciate the outpouring of thoughts and prayers as their daughter and granddaughters recover from [the] accident. Their thoughts and prayers also go out to the young men and the families involved in the accident.
The picture, provided by the campaign, shows Barnes with his grandchildren, but they did not identify Ella and Lilly.