4 of 5 family members killed in crash on way home from church function

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. (WANF/Gray News) – A family of five lost four of its members after a horrific crash in Georgia on Sunday evening. The crash also claimed the life of a college student.

Georgia State Patrol said the crash happened on Interstate 75 in Bartow County near mile marker 286, about an hour northwest of Atlanta.

According to a GoFundMe page, Dakarai and Erin Mason – along with their three children, Brandon, Titus, and Noah – were involved in the crash while on their way home from a church function.

Both parents, as well as the oldest child, 14-year-old son Brandon Crawford, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two younger children, 6-year-old Titus and 5-year-old Noah, were both injured and taken to the hospital.

According to the GoFundMe page, Titus died on Wednesday morning.

As the sole survivor of the crash, Noah is expected to make a full recovery, according to the GoFundMe page.

The Bartow County Coroner confirmed a fifth person died in the crash, identified as 21-year-old Aimee Odom. She was traveling in another vehicle.

Odom was a student at Kennesaw State University, the school confirmed.

According to Georgia State Patrol, evidence indicates that the Mason family’s Kia van was traveling northbound on I-75 when it left the roadway, crossed the grass median, and entered the southbound lanes of I-75.

The Kia van collided with an oncoming Chevy Tahoe and a Toyota 4Runner, leading to a chain reaction involving two more vehicles.

It’s unclear why the van lost control and crossed the median.

In addition to the five deaths, five others were injured.

The news of such a horrible crash has left the small community stunned.

“There’s not really words you can say to make anything better like that,” said Jessica Lopez, who was working at the nearby Sunoco gas station when the crash happened.

Erin Mason, the mom killed in the crash, was an employee of the Holly Springs Police Department.

“Yesterday, we lost a beloved member of our Holly Springs Police Department family,” the department said in a social media post Monday afternoon. “Please keep the family of Erin and Dakarai Mason in your thoughts and prayers. We ask that everyone be respectful of the family’s wishes for privacy during their time of grieving.”

WANF spoke with Erin Mason’s uncle. He said the family is asking for prayers and privacy at this time.

Bartow County Schools also shared a social media post asking the community to pray for Brandon and his family.

The school district said Brandon was a freshman at Cass High Magnet School, where he played on the offensive line for the football team and took honors classes.

“Moreover, students and staff say his ‘energy, larger-than-life smile, laugh, and infectious personality’ made Brandon a standout,” the district said, in part.

The GoFundMe page for the family says the funds will help raise money for multiple funerals and go toward medical costs for the youngest son.

“We continue to ask for prayers, as we know that there is strength in numbers,” the page reads. “Our family will undoubtedly need them in the coming days, weeks, and months as we navigate the planning of multiple funerals and in dealing with such a tragic loss. We also ask for prayers for all of the other families impacted by this terrible tragedy.”

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