A second person has now died in connection to a Sunday head-on wreck on Bell Creek Road in Hiawassee.
The Towns County Coroner's Office said in a social media post that Jimmy Reger, 23, of Jasper, passed away Tuesday from injuries sustained in that wreck.
The announcement follows the previous death of Rachel Long, 37, of Andrews, North Carolina, in that incident.
The Georgia State Patrol previously told AccessWDUN that Reger was the at-fault driver in the wreck, which happened at about 9 p.m. He was driving a Ford Explorer north on Bell Creek Road and attempting to pass another vehicle on a double yellow line when he hit an oncoming Ford Maverick head-on.
Long was a passenger in the Maverick. The driver of the Maverick and a 6-year-old passenger in the vehicle also sustained serious injuries in that wreck. Authorities have not released any updates on their conditions.
Reger was reportedly driving under the influence at the time of the wreck, according to an incident report from the Georgia State Patrol.
Update published Tuesday at 10:54 a.m.:
The Georgia State Patrol released Tuesday morning the name of the North Carolina woman who was killed in a head-on wreck Sunday evening in Hiawassee. Additionally, the at-fault driver in that wreck was charged with driving under the influence.
Jimmy Reece Reger, 23, of Jasper, was driving a Ford Explorer north on Bell Creek Road at about 9 p.m. when he attempted to pass another vehicle on a double yellow line.
That Explorer then hit a southbound Ford Maverick head-on.
Reger suffered serious injuries as a result. The driver and a 6-year-old child in the Maverick also suffered serious injuries. All three were taken to area hospitals for treatment. The front right passenger of the Maverick, Rachel Long, 37, of Andrews, North Carolina, died as a result of the collision.
Reger faces a list of charges in the incident, including driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle and serious injury by vehicle.
Original story published Monday at 12:15 p.m.:
One person was killed and three more were seriously injured in a head-on collision in Hiawassee Sunday night.
A report from the Georgia State Patrol said the crash happened just before 9:15 p.m. on Bell Creek Road just north of Bell Street when a northbound Ford Explorer crossed the double yellow line to pass another vehicle and hit a southbound Ford Maverick head-on.
The Explorer ultimately ended up on its side. State patrol officials said one person was killed in the crash. Both drivers involved were seriously injured along with a backseat passenger in the Maverick.
The names of those involved have not been released and no charges have been announced as of noon Monday.
Social media posts from the Hiawassee Police Department said the crash left Bell Creek Road shut down for several hours.
