Tragedy has once again struck the family of Andy and Gloria Mendonsa of St. Elmo.
Their daughter, Hadrienne, was critically injured in a two-vehicle crash on Mountain Creek Road late Friday night. She was taken off life support on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this year, her younger brother, Asher Mendonsa, fell through a hole at the top of the long-abandoned Parkway Towers. The fall left him a quadriplegic.
Mayor Ron Littlefield said, "I just can't comprehend what this family has been through."
He said, "I have known Andy and Gloria since the children were little. Andy Mendonsa is one of the most godly men I have ever known. He is someone who has always given of himself to others." Mr. Mendonsa heads the local Widows Harvest Ministry.
Mayor Littlefield said he met Hadrienne Mendonsa at a fundraiser for Asher at the Skatepark.
He said, "I talked with her for a long time. She was a beautiful young girl."
Several Red Bank High School students were also involved in the wreck on Mountain Creek Road near Morrison Springs Road around 11:30 p.m. Friday.
The other Mendonsa family members were in Atlanta at the time of the tragic wreck. Andy Mendonsa came up soon after news of the crash. Hadrienne's mother, Gloria, and Asher were then brought up from Atlanta to be at the emergency room. Asher has been receiving treatment at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
Friends said Hadrienne and her two friends were leaving to go to the midnight showing of the Harry Potter movie. They said their vehicle was partly out onto Mountain Creek Road when they spotted a vehicle coming at them. They tried to back up, but could not avoid being hit.
Also this year, a huge tree crashed into the Mendonsa home on Alabama Avenue during a storm. It did extensive damage to the frame house, and the repairs have still not been completed.