ATHENS, Ga. — A tragic wrong-way crash involving four vehicles claimed the lives of two drivers and left multiple others injured in Athens just after midnight Sunday, according to Athens-Clarke County Police.
Officers were first alerted to a wrong-way driver traveling on the GA-10 Inner Loop near Chase Street. Moments later, police received a report of a major crash on the Inner Loop at Oglethorpe Avenue.
Investigators determined that a 2021 Kia Seltos, driven by 26-year-old Desiree Browning of Lawrenceville, was traveling in the wrong direction on the GA-10 Inner Loop. At the same time, a 2021 Mercedes-Benz and a 2020 Ford Expedition were traveling properly along the roadway.
Police said the Kia initially struck the Mercedes-Benz before colliding with the Ford Expedition. The Kia continued forward and then hit a 2017 Toyota Camry head-on. Following the final impact, the Kia came to rest on the cable barriers, where it caught fire.
Browning suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
The driver of the Toyota Camry, identified as 25-year-old Soonhoon Choi of Athens, also died from his injuries. The Toyota’s passenger was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities reported that the occupants of the Mercedes-Benz and the Ford Expedition sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department continues to investigate the crash. Officials noted this marks the eighth fatal crash in Athens-Clarke County this year, bringing the total number of traffic-related deaths to 10.