Three members of a family were killed and two others injured in a traffic crash involving three vehicles in Walker County late Friday afternoon.
The victims were a LaFayette man and his daughter, age about 13, and his brother-in-law from Ringgold.
The driver of the four-door Dodge Ram was Anthony Thomas Hixon Jr., 36, and his daughter, Amber. The other victim in the Dodge was James Eugene Whitaker, 45.
The wreck happened at 5:40 p.m. just west of the Villanow community on Highway 136.
The Georgia State Patrol said one of the three family members was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital, but did not survive.
Authorities said it does not appear that alcohol was involved.
The Georgia Highway Patrol said a bucket truck driven by Charles Shannon Keen, 31, of Summerville, Ga., crossed the centerline on Highway 136, clipped a compact car, then ran at an angle into the Dodge.
The bucket truck belonged to Townsend Tree Service of Madison, Ga.
The occupant of the compact car, Fredy Penaloza, 29, of Smithville, Tn., had visible injuries. The driver of the bucket truck had minor injuries. Both were taken to Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton.
The Georgia State Patrol said charges are pending against the driver of the bucket truck.
The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is involved in investigating the wreck along with the Motor Carrier Compliance Division due to the involvement of the bucket truck in the wreck.
Villanow is east of LaFayette and south of Rocky Face.