One man died and his passenger was severely injured following a fatal two-vehicle collision Tuesday morning on U.S. 129 in Jackson County.
Troopers from Post 32 in Athens responded to the scene around 6:41 a.m..
Ashley Chad Simmons, 41 of Jefferson, was driving his Ford F-150 westbound. He crossed over the centerline and hit a Honda Accord head-on that was traveling eastbound.
Honda Accord driver Mario Aldaco-Negrete, 37 of Gainesville, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ana Alica Otero-Sanchez, 37 of Gainesville, was Negrete’s passenger. She was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in serious condition.
Simmons was also transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
No one has been taken into custody, but officers suspect Simmons may have been impaired.
“When somebody travels across the roadway like that, we always look into impairment,” Georgia State Patrol post 32 Cpl. Terrence Matthews said.
The Troop B Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is assisting with the ongoing crash investigation.
