The aunt of two Atlanta Falcons players passed away after a driver crashed into her car while she was waiting for her mother outside a Kroger store during a regular grocery run.
Gisele Perry, who is the aunt of brothers AJ and Avion Terrell, was parked in Decatur, Georgia, when the accident occurred around 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Local reports indicate that a driver collided with her vehicle, sending it into a metal pole and causing another individual to be knocked onto the sidewalk. At the time, Perry, 49, was in the driver’s seat.
According to DeKalb County police, Tayshia Wilson, the daughter of the driver involved, shared that her mother lost consciousness while driving shortly before the crash. “My mother passed out while driving and didn’t even realize what was happening,” she told reporters. The driver suffered serious injuries.
Witness Tony Lackey, who was on a smoke break at the time, noticed a car speeding through the parking lot just before it hit Perry’s vehicle. “We saw and heard the car coming. A couple of seconds later, there was a loud thump, and we all ran out to see what happened; it was bad,” he recounted. The impact was so severe that it looked as if the vehicles had collided with explosive force. Another witness, Doderick Moore, likened the speeding car to a “missile,” expressing disbelief at the damage done in an instant.
In addition to Perry, a pedestrian nearby was also injured.
The Terrell brothers have expressed their grief over their aunt’s passing. Avion, who was recently drafted 48th in the NFL, posted on his Instagram Story that she was one of his strongest supporters. He shared a video of himself celebrating a touchdown from his high school days.
AJ, who joined the Falcons in 2020, paid homage to his aunt by sharing a black-and-white photo of the two on social media, with a caption stating, “I can still hear you.” This comes just weeks after they shared an emotional reunion in front of family after being on the same NFL team.
Perry’s husband, Radian, described her as “amazing and gorgeous,” expressing that she was his everything. With their fourth wedding anniversary approaching in June, he reflected on their life together and how it deeply affects him to see her belongings scattered throughout their home.
