1 dead, 1 injured, 1 arrested after vehicle strikes 2 pedestrians in Athens

An incident involving two pedestrians in downtown Athens on Jan. 17 claimed the life of one man and left another injured, according to officials.

Athens-Clarke County Police responded to the scene near North Thomas Street and East Washington Street at approximately 10:27 p.m. The crash involved a single vehicle and two pedestrians.

What we know:

One of the pedestrians, 78-year-old Guy Jones of Woodstock, was transported to a local hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The second pedestrian, 18-year-old Sean Helms, also of Woodstock, sustained visible injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The driver, identified as Heather Turner, 31, of Hoschton, was uninjured. After an initial investigation, Turner was arrested on two counts of Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk and one count of Homicide by Vehicle in the Second Degree.

Police have confirmed this is the second fatal traffic incident in Athens-Clarke County in 2025.

What's next:

The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Senior Police Officer Joey Lewis at Joey.Lewis@accgov.com or 762-400-7169.

Athens-Clarke CountyCrime and Public SafetyNews