CANARYVILLE — A day before her ninth birthday, an 8-year-old girl and her unborn sister returning home from a family vacation to Disney World died in a highway crash, according to authorities.
The accident happened around 12:30 a.m. Friday in Cochran, Georgia, according to reports.
Gabby Dunn, a third-grader at Healy Elementary, was in a minivan that ran a stop sign and crashed into a fuel truck, throwing her from the car, authorities said. She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to reports.
Two adults were in the minivan: the girl’s 31-year-old mother, Sarah Dunn, and her 24-year-old boyfriend, Danean Williams. Both are recovering from minor injuries in Georgia, according to authorities.
Dunn was six months pregnant with a girl the couple planned to name Hazel. The unborn girl died in the crash.
The tragedy led friends and family to start a fundraiser to cover the family’s travel back to Chicago and pay for medical expenses. As of Monday morning, the online fundraiser had generated more than $3,700. Donate here.
“Gabby was a lover of life,” said Tamica Lankford, a photographer and good friend of Dunn’s who has shot photos of Gabby and her family. “She loved animals and being outside and exploring.”
When the family recently arrived in Orlando for vacation, everyone wanted to rest — except Gabby.
“The first thing that Gabby did was catch a lizard,” Lankford said. “She was a really really sweet kid.”
Friends of the family put together this tribute video to honor Gabby Dunn's life:
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
