Thursday March 28th, 2024 10:01PM

Victims identified in pair of fatal Jackson Co. crashes that killed 3 during overnight hours

By Bryan Pirkle

Authorities with the Georgia State Patrol are investigating a pair of fatal car accidents that occurred just north of Jefferson during the early morning hours of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The first accident took place around 3:14 a.m. on I-85 South near Dry Pond Road, roughly located in north-central Jackson County, when State Patrol Cpl. C.E. Parker says a southbound SUV swerved to avoid a tractor-trailer after having followed too closely.

"The maneuver was unsuccessful and the SUV struck the left rear of the trailer with it's right front before the driver lost control," Parker said. "The [SUV] traveled into the left lane, around the trailer and collided with the side of the trailer, traveling underneath it."

A passenger inside the SUV, identified as Susan Michele Heath of Hendersonville, North Carolina, "was ejected and suffered a fatal injury."

Parker said the driver of the vehicle, Joshua Wilkinson of Hendersonville, North Carolina, suffered minor injuries in the collision and was later charged with following too closely and second degree vehicular homicide. The driver of the tractor-trailer was apparently uninjured. 

While authorities were working to clear that accident scene, Parker said another accident occurred "in the back-up from the original crash," resulting in two additional fatalities.

He said the collision took place at around 4:41 a.m., when a sounthbound box truck struck a pickup truck that was either slowing or completely stopped.

"The [pickup truck] traveled off of the right side of I-85 as the box truck continued south," Parker continued. "The box truck then struck the rear of a stopped tractor-trailer."

Parker said the string of collisions resulted in the deaths of the pickup driver and the box truck driver. The former has been identified as Brian Mallette of Jackson, Mississippi, while the box truck driver has yet to be identified.

Authorities continue to investigate the collision and are working to identify the remaining parties.

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