Elderly Man Killed, Teen Injured in Athens Pedestrian Accident; Driver Arrested

On January 17, 2025, at approximately 10:27 PM, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department responded to a single-vehicle accident involving two pedestrians at the intersection of N. Thomas Street and E. Washington Street.

One pedestrian, 78-year-old Guy Jones of Woodstock, GA, was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The second pedestrian, 18-year-old Sean Helms, also of Woodstock, sustained visible injuries and was treated at a local hospital.

The driver, 31-year-old Heather Turner of Hoschton, GA, was uninjured in the crash. Following an investigation, Turner was arrested and charged with two counts of Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk and one count of Homicide by Vehicle-Second Degree.

This marks the second fatality crash in Athens-Clarke County in 2025.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Senior Police Officer Joey Lewis at Joey.Lewis@accgov.com or 762-400-7169.