A family in Youngstown, Florida, is mourning the loss of 78-year-old Peggy Chastain after a two-vehicle crash in Bay County left her dead and a 9-year-old girl seriously injured. The collision happened Tuesday afternoon, November 3, 2026, at the intersection of U.S. 231 and South Camp Flowers Road. What began as an ordinary afternoon ended in a tragedy that has left Peggy’s loved ones struggling to accept that she is gone.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Peggy was driving a sedan and attempting to make a left turn onto South Camp Flowers Road when her vehicle entered the path of another sedan. The two vehicles collided, sending the second car off the roadway and into the nearby woods.
The driver of the second vehicle, a 23-year-old Panama City resident, suffered minor injuries. A 9-year-old girl from Youngstown was also involved in the crash and sustained serious injuries. Authorities said everyone involved was wearing a seat belt or an appropriate safety restraint at the time of the collision.
Peggy did not survive the crash. Her death has brought deep sadness to those who knew and loved her, and authorities confirmed that her next of kin had been notified.
For her family, however, Peggy was much more than the name of someone who lost her life in a traffic accident. She was a grandmother whose place in their lives cannot simply be filled. The memories, family moments and affection they shared with her are now what they have to hold on to.
One family member shared the pain of receiving the news in a touching tribute that read, “Wasn’t ready to be woke up this morning with this news. I love you, Granny Peggy Chastain.”
The short message says a great deal about the loss. There was no preparation for the news, no chance to make one more memory or say goodbye. For the person who wrote those words, the woman they called Granny Peggy was someone they clearly loved and were not ready to lose.
As the family begins to deal with her passing, attention also remains on the injured 9-year-old girl. The little girl’s injuries have added another painful part to an already difficult day for the families affected by the collision.
Peggy Chastain’s death leaves her loved ones with memories of a grandmother they wished they could have had more time with. She was 78, but for those who called her family, her age does little to ease the pain of losing her. May the family find comfort in the memories they shared, and may the young girl injured in the crash make a full recovery.
Rest in peace, Granny Peggy Chastain.