Two people were killed, and two were injured, on Thanksgiving eve, last Wednesday, Nov. 24, shortly after the 6 p.m. official start of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Alice Goolsby, and her son Nigel Griffith were traveling on Post Road in a Pontiac 6000. Meanwhile, Alexandria Hoffman, 16, of Monticello, and a passenger, were traveling down Barr Bridge Road towards Post Road in a Jeep Cherokee, according to reports from the Georgia State Patrol.
Miss Hoffman did not stop at the stop sign where Barr Bridge intersects Post Road, and her Jeep rammed the side of Ms. Goolsby’s Pontiac, the report said. Both vehicles overturned.
When emergency responders arrived, they found Ms. Goolsby and her son trapped in their vehicle. Miss Hoffman and her passenger were outside of the vehicle, but required immediate medical care. It was determined that Ms. Goolsby and her son had died.
Jasper County Coroner Billy Norris arrived on scene and confirmed they were deceased. Their bodies were taken to the state crime lab, before being released to Smith and Sons Funeral Home in Monticello which is handling funeral arrangements.
Ms. Goolsby grew up in Jasper County, but was living in Covington. Nigel was a student at Cousins Middle School. His younger brother had been in the car with them, and had been dropped off at a friend’s house, according to unofficial reports.
Funeral services for Ms. Goolsby and her son are scheduled for this Saturday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. at St. James A.M.E. Church on Funderburg Drive in Monticello. Rev. Donna Mare Calix will officiate. Burial will be in South View Cemetery.
Full obituaries for each of them will be published in next week’s Monticello News.
The Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) was called to the scene Wednesday where members began their investigation. They were back on scene Monday for more investigation.
The accident is still under investigation, but it is likely Miss Hoffman will face charges. Trooper Stone of the SCRT said that it could take some time before the investigation is complete.
Although no conclusions have been made in regards to the accident, the troopers speculated that Miss Hoffman may have been texting.
There was an accident in neighboring Morgan County last year in which Caleb Sorohan died. Mr. Sorohan was texting while driving in December, 2009, on his way home for the Christmas holidays, and his death led to “Caleb’s Law” being passed that makes it illegal to text and drive.