A 16-year-old Heard County High School student died and a classmate remained in critical condition after a four-vehicle crash tore through the intersection of Georgia 1 and Five Notch Road before 6:44 p.m. Friday. Heaven Inkman, 16, was riding as a passenger in a 2007 Toyota Corolla and died from her injuries, while her friend, 16-year-old Olivia Steele, was rushed to the hospital by paramedics and remains critical.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the Corolla was traveling west on Five Notch Road when it moved across Georgia 1 directly into the path of a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe. The Tahoe struck the passenger side of the Corolla, sending the car off the roadway and leaving the Tahoe stalled in the traffic lanes, the agency said. Both Inkman and Steele were students at Heard County High School.
The crash did not end with the initial collision. A southbound Chevrolet Silverado braked to avoid the disabled Tahoe, and a following Kia Sorento then slammed into the Silverado, pushing it into the Tahoe, according to the same state patrol account. Authorities have not released condition updates on the drivers of the three other vehicles involved.
School Community Mourns and Rallies Support
Today, our hearts are heavy as we mourn the heartbreaking loss of Heaven Inkman and continue to lift Olivia Steele and her family up in prayer. In times of unimaginable tragedy, we are reminded that Heard County is more than just a school or a community — we are a family.
Heard County High School leaders shared news of the crash online and urged neighbors to keep both families in their thoughts, writing that the school community was heartbroken and could not ease the families' pain. The Heard County Braves football program echoed that grief on X, posting that the loss of Inkman had left the community’s heart heavy while Steele and her family remained in its prayers.
School administrators are accepting campus donations to help relatives with medical and funeral expenses, and a GoFundMe campaign was organized in Inkman's honor to support her loved ones.
A Rural Crossing With a Troubled History
The wreck adds to a grim tally for Heard County roads. Federal crash data compiled by farsapi.com, drawing on NHTSA records, shows the county recorded 31 fatal crashes and 32 fatalities between 2017 and 2023. That broader toll doesn't establish what caused Friday's crash, but it underscores the stakes on rural Georgia highways where young drivers are often involved.
Statewide, teen driving crashes have shown some improvement even as they remain a persistent concern. A Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety report found that 176 drivers ages 15 to 20 were involved in fatal crashes statewide in 2023, down 8% from 191 the year before. Fatalities among passengers of young drivers also fell, from 38 in 2022 to 34 in 2023, though the report notes that 16% of the roughly 1,120 people who suffered suspected serious injuries in multivehicle crashes involving young drivers that year were themselves passengers of the young driver.
Similar Chain-Reaction Wrecks Elsewhere in Georgia
Multi-vehicle pileups triggered by an initial crossing collision have struck other corners of the state this year. In July, Georgia troopers said charges were pending after a four-vehicle crash in Hart County, as reported by Fox Carolina. In that wreck, a 2007 Pontiac Torrent struck a 1997 Ford Explorer, which rotated and hit a stopped 2013 Hyundai Elantra before overturning into the path of a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The Ford's driver was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, while the Hyundai's driver and passenger and the Toyota's driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the outlet's report.
Back in Heard County, the investigation into Friday's crash continues, and no further details on the condition of the other drivers involved had been released as of this report.
