Wrong-way driver kills two in multi-vehicle crash on Athens Inner Loop

ATHENS, Ga. - A wrong-way driver caused a chain-reaction crash that killed two people and critically injured two others early Saturday on the Georgia Highway 10 Inner Loop in Athens, according to Athens-Clarke County police.

What we know:

Officers were first called around 12:08 a.m. to reports of a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction near Chase Street. Moments later, dispatchers received word of a crash farther west near Oglethorpe Avenue.

Investigators said the driver of a 2021 Kia Seltos, identified as 26-year-old Desiree Browning of Lawrenceville, was heading the wrong way when the Kia struck a 2021 Mercedes-Benz, then collided with a 2020 Ford Expedition. Police said the Kia continued the wrong way before crashing head-on into a 2017 Toyota Camry.

The impact pushed the Kia into the cable barriers, where it caught fire and became fully engulfed.

Police said the driver of the Toyota, 25-year-old Soonhoon Choi of Athens, died at the scene. A passenger in the Toyota was taken to a local hospital and remains in critical condition.

Browning also died at the scene, according to investigators. A passenger in her Kia was hospitalized and is in critical condition.

The occupants of both the Mercedes-Benz and Ford Expedition suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

What they're saying:

Police noted this is the eighth fatal crash of the year in Athens-Clarke County, resulting in ten deaths.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not said why the Kia entered the Inner Loop in the wrong direction or where it first entered the roadway. 

Police have not identified the passengers in either the Kia or the Toyota or released updates on their conditions beyond the initial critical status. 

It is not yet clear whether impairment, speed, or other factors played a role. 

Investigators have not said if any traffic camera or dash camera footage captured the wrong-way entry or the sequence of collisions. 

Police have also not detailed how fast the vehicles were traveling, how many total people were involved, or whether additional witnesses have come forward.