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Two Killed In Head-On Crash In Martinez: Identities Released

An investigation is underway after two people were killed in a three-vehicle collision Monday evening on Washington Road near Casa Linda Drive. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office says a Ford…

Two killed in a head-on collision on Washington Road in Martinez have been identified.
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An investigation is underway after two people were killed in a three-vehicle collision Monday evening on Washington Road near Casa Linda Drive.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office says a Ford Bronco driven by 50-year-old Willie James Wilson of Appling was traveling at a "high rate of speed" when it veered into oncoming traffic and hit a Ford Focus driven by 68-year-old William Swint of Martinez head-on.

The impact caused Swint's Ford Focus to overturn and hit another vehicle next to it driven by Shanequa Lashay Freeman of Augusta.

Swint and a passenger in his vehicle, 42-year-old January Rose Hartley of Martinez, died at the scene. Both had to be extricated from the vehicle.

Wilson and Freeman were both taken to Doctors Hospital and are undergoing treatment. Their conditions haven't been released.

The Sheriff's Office said just minutes before the fatal accident, Wilson caused another wreck on Washington Road at Old Evans Road.

The accident report says Wilson hit a vehicle while trying to change lanes, then continued to head west on Washington Road.

The Sheriff's Office says investigators are reviewing traffic camera footage of the wreck.

Charges against Wilson are pending.

Mary Liz is the News Director and Co-Host of Augusta’s Morning News on WGAC. She spent 11 years as a News Director at an Indiana Radio Station. She has also worked as a former Police and Courts Reporter for The Republic Newspaper and Assistant Marketing Director of Merchants National Bank in Indianapolis. Mary Liz focuses most on local breaking news stories, feature stories on upcoming events, or community-service related organizations and the people who serve them. She has been with WGAC since 1995.