Woman Arrested in Fatal 2025 St. Simons Island DUI Crash That Claimed Passenger’s Life

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. A 57-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with a fatal crash that occurred last year on St. Simons Island after investigators determined her blood alcohol concentration was above Georgia’s legal limit, authorities said.

According to the Glynn County Police Department, the crash occurred on Nov. 1, 2025, at the intersection of Frederica Road and Sea Island Road and involved a Buick Encore and an Infiniti G37.

Three occupants of the Infiniti sustained serious injuries in the collision. One passenger was airlifted to a hospital but later died from injuries suffered in the crash.

Investigators developed evidence indicating that the driver of one of the vehicles may have been impaired by alcohol at the time of the collision. Evidence was collected under Georgia’s Implied Consent law.

With assistance from the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, investigators determined the driver’s blood alcohol concentration exceeded the legal limit of 0.08%, police said.

Based on the results of the investigation, authorities obtained arrest warrants for Deborah Frances Neal, 57.

On July 21, 2026, Neal was located and arrested. She was booked into the Glynn County Detention Center.

She is charged with Driving Under the Influence and Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree.