HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A devastating collision Thursday morning has left a Lakemont man dead and two others injured following a head-on crash on Cleveland Highway near Clarks Bridge Road.

According to authorities, the accident occurred around 8 a.m. when 38-year-old Angelica Marisol Vilchis-Cruz was driving south on Cleveland Highway and drifted into the northbound lane, colliding head-on with a Ford Explorer. Investigators determined that Vilchis-Cruz had fallen asleep behind the wheel moments before the crash.

The impact was catastrophic. Emergency crews worked frantically to rescue those trapped inside the mangled vehicles. 31-year-old DeWayne O’Neil Smith, a passenger in the Explorer, had to be extricated by firefighters. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was tragically pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Both Vilchis-Cruz and the driver of the Explorer were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of their injuries. Following her release, Vilchis-Cruz was taken into custody and booked into the Hall County Jail on multiple charges, including first-degree vehicular homicide. She is currently being held without bond.

What began as an ordinary Thursday morning turned into heartbreak for an entire community. Friends and family are now mourning the loss of DeWayne Smith — a young man whose life was cut short by a moment’s lapse behind the wheel.

Authorities continue to investigate the deadly crash as loved ones struggle to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.