Two Die in Fiery Crash Sunday
Two people were killed late Sunday night, Sept. 2, in a collision on Henderson Mill Road, east of County Line Road, off Hwy. 11 north.
Kati Womack, 21, of Oxford, driving a Jeep Cherokee, was traveling west on Henderson Mill Road, towards Hwy. 36, according to a report by the Georgia State Patrol.
At the same time, Trinity Campbell, 39, of Monticello, was traveling east on Henderson Mill Road, headed toward Hwy. 11 in a 1993 Buick LeSabre, troopers determined.
Apparently Mr. Campbell lost control of his vehicle in the curve, and began to fishtail. His car went sideways in the oncoming lane, with the driver’s side facing east in the path of Ms. Womack’s car, according to the report from Georgia State Patrol trooper Tom Bailey.
The two cars hit in the westbound lane of the road, and both vehicles apparently erupted into flames on impact, Trooper Bailey said. The fire stopped traffic in both directions, as the vehicles took up virtually all of the paved road.
The accident was called into Jasper County’s 911 center at 11:19 p.m. as a head-on collision with the vehicles on fire on Henderson Mill Road near County Line Road.
The first emergency responder on the scene arrived at 11:27 p.m., and confirmed that it was two vehicles and they were fully involved in fire.
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Jasper County Fire Chief Jarrett Slocumb said it appeared the fire started in the car, probably in the engine. He said the accident was in the curve east of the intersection with County Line Road.Trooper Bailey said that the intensity of the impact was apparently what caused the flames.
According to reports, motorists who arrived on scene shortly after the accident were unable to remove the drivers from the vehicles.Jasper County Coroner Billy Norris transported the bodies to the state crime lab for positive identification.
Ms. Womack worked at The Retreat Nursing Home in Monticello and had reportedly left work shortly before the accident occurred.
Trooper Bailey’s preliminary investigation painted a very different scenario, which was reported in the September 6, 2012, print edition of The Monticello News as well as The Covington News. Trooper Bailey said that he decided a more thorough investigation was needed, and returned to the scene with a co-worker. They then determined that Ms. Womack had indeed been headed in the direction of her home in Oxford, while Mr. Campbell was headed towards Monticello. That investigation took place late Wednesday afternoon.
To further confirm exactly what happened, Trooper Bailey along with members of the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) and others revisited the site Thursday. Their findings were identical to the Wednesday afternoon findings described above.
The two fatalities in the accident contributed to the total of 10 who died on Georgia roads over the long holiday weekend.
Troopers investigated 373 accidents that injured 230 people over the weekend. They arrested 240 people for driving under the influence, issued 983 citations for seat belt violations and recovered six stolen vehicles during the holiday, according to the Ga. Department of Public Safety.
