A one-vehicle crash on U.S. 411 on Sunday, May 18th, resulted in the death of a three-year-old girl and serious injuries to a one-year-old passenger, leading to multiple charges against the driver. At 12:57 AM, Georgia State Patrol troopers arrived at Ellis Road. The investigation revealed that a white Hyundai Elantra was traveling northbound in the right lane when the driver failed to maintain his lane. The vehicle traveled onto the east shoulder of the roadway and began to overturn. After overturning, the Elantra struck a tree with the rear of the car, continued, and struck a utility pole with the rear right passenger door. First responders extricated the occupants from the vehicle, and the two juvenile passengers were life-flighted to the hospital with serious head injuries. The three-year-old girl, Lehgacee Redding of Calhoun, died that day at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
28-year-old Devonte Eddie-Donald Jenkins of Adairsville turned himself into the Bartow County Jail on Thursday afternoon, May 22nd, in connection with the incident. He faces charges for failure to maintain lane, driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence, endangering a child under the age of 14 by driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle in the first degree, and serious injury by vehicle. Jenkins posted a $20,000 bond on Friday afternoon.