Second driver charged in I-20 crash that killed 24-year-old near Grovetown

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A second person has been arrested in connection with a July crash that left a woman dead on Interstate 20 near the Lewiston Road exit.

The last person arrested was driving the car the victim was in, 24-year-old Mya Angela Steed, of Dearing, according to a crash report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said the car was traveling below the minimum speed limit and had a flat tire.

The driver of the car who drove into the back of the car with the flat tire was previously arrested. Authorities said the driver was using a cell phone playing YouTube videos.

The accident report shows that both drivers were at fault for the accident.

We do not mention their names or use their photos because the crime is not a crime.

The crash happened just before 10:15 a.m. on July 5 as the car carrying Steed, a 2013 Nissan Altima, was traveling east on I-20 in the outside lane and a half-mile east of Lewiston Road, according to the accident report. According to the report, the car had a flat tire and was traveling 10 to 15 mph with its hazard lights on.

The driver of another car, a 2020 Chevrolet Express, approached the Altima from behind and the driver did not notice the Altima, the accident report states.

The Express rear-ended the Altima, which ended up in a ditch.

Steed, a front-seat passenger in the Altima, was taken by ambulance to Doctors Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The driver of the Altima was aware of the tire failure and had left the highway to contact a company about purchasing a new tire, then made the decision to reenter the highway and drive well below the minimum speed limit of 60 km/h, the report said. .

PHOTO GALLERY:

The driver of the Express did not have clear vision, took little to no evasive action to avoid the hazard and was using a mobile device at the time of the crash, the accident report shows. According to the accident report, the screen was on with the YouTube app open and in focus while videos were playing at or around the impact area.

The driver of the Express was arrested on September 4 and charged with second-degree vehicular manslaughter. According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the driver exercised due diligence and followed basic rules too closely.

The driver of the Altima was arrested Thursday and charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, no proof of minimum insurance, driving an unsafe or improperly equipped vehicle, violating minimum speed limit and driving while license suspended or revoked, according to the Columbia County Jail. records.