A 10-year-old girl was airlifted to Atlanta after she ran into the path of an SUV on W. Stewarts Mill Road in Douglasville on Monday evening, according to investigators. The crash happened shortly after 5:45 p.m. when a dog ran toward a group of teenagers walking along the road's south shoulder, prompting the girl to dart into the roadway, per Georgia State Patrol.
A Nissan Murano traveling east on W. Stewarts Mill Road struck the girl, according to investigators. As reported by WSB-TV, the teenagers told investigators the girl ran into the road after the dog approached the group, and Georgia State Patrol confirmed the girl was seriously injured in the crash. She was airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment, per the outlet's reporting.
Additional details on the medical transport emerged Tuesday, when WXIA-TV reported the girl was flown by Air Evac after state troopers responded to the scene. Air Evac Lifeteam operates emergency medical helicopters across Georgia built to rapidly move pediatric trauma patients to specialized facilities, and the same station's report notes the flight followed troopers arriving shortly after the crash.
Why She Was Flown to a Specialized Trauma Center
The girl's destination was Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Arthur M. Blank Hospital, which opened in September 2024 and houses Georgia's only Level 1 pediatric trauma center, according to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Level 1 pediatric trauma designations mean the hospital maintains round-the-clock specialized surgical and intensive care units built specifically for critically injured children, per the hospital system.
Georgia State Patrol is leading the investigation into the crash, continuing a pattern of serious wrecks the agency has worked across Douglas County this year. Hoodline previously reported that troopers investigated a fatal Chapel Hill Road rollover in March that killed an 18-year-old passenger, underscoring how often state troopers respond to major crashes in the area.
What Georgia Law Says About Drivers and Children Near Roads
The crash raises questions about the responsibilities of drivers and pedestrians on or near roadways, but it remains an open question whether Georgia State Patrol will issue any citations in connection with Monday's crash, and the girl's current medical condition has not been publicly detailed.
A Road Without Sidewalks Near a Middle School
W. Stewarts Mill Road lacks comprehensive sidewalk coverage. That gap in infrastructure highlights the importance of pedestrian safety along the corridor.
Pedestrian safety remains a concern in Georgia and nationwide.
Douglasville has seen this kind of tragedy before. In June 2024, 12-year-old Elijah “EJ” Holmes was fatally struck by a vehicle on Thornton Road, a case Hoodline covered in a report on his death that prompted family and community calls for more pedestrian signage and roadway warnings. No further updates on Monday's crash, including any potential charges against the SUV's driver, have been released.
