MACON, Georgia — On a Wednesday afternoon that began like any other for families on the road, tragedy struck on Interstate 75 South near Sardis Church Road. Around 4:30 p.m., traffic in the left lane came to a sudden, violent stop when a commercial Ford F‑350 plowed into the back of a Toyota Corolla. That impact started a chain reaction that sent the Corolla into a Ford F‑150 and then into a Chevrolet van. This wasn’t just another slow afternoon traffic pile‑up — it cost two lives and left three others hurt and in the hospital.
The Toyota’s driver, 61‑year‑old Joann White of Warner Robins, was killed instantly. In the back seat, her grandson Zion Thomas also died. He was just 1 year old and only weeks away from turning 2. Witnesses and first responders described a somber scene as officers cordoned off the area and the Georgia State Patrol began reconstructing what went wrong.
Police say White and Zion were in the Corolla when the Ford F‑350 hit from behind. The Corolla shot forward into the F‑150, and then that pickup struck a van. All of this happened on the left lane, snarling traffic for miles. Emergency crews worked well into the evening before clearing the wreckage, reopening roads near 10:30 p.m.
Three other people were hurt in the crash: a passenger in the Corolla, the driver of the F‑150, and a passenger from the Ford F‑350. All were taken to Atrium Health Navicent for treatment. Their injuries ranged from serious to moderate, and as of the last reports, none were believed to be life‑threatening.
Friends and neighbours of White and little Zion gathered at the scene after dark, placing flowers and soft toys along the highway guardrail. Many shared memories of White as a devoted grandma who doted on her grandson. For Zion, every day was a new adventure — a life barely begun.
Investigators from the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team are still piecing together why the initial impact happened. Nothing so far suggests impairment, but troopers continue to interview witnesses and review video from traffic cameras.
Traffic on I‑75 South slowly returned to normal by nightfall, but the memory of what happened left a quiet urgency among drivers: a reminder of how quickly life can change on the highway.
