SOPERTON, Ga. — A heartbreaking crash in Laurens County has left a tight-knit community in deep mourning after a mother and her teenage daughter were killed in a violent head-on collision late Sunday night. The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Soperton as families struggle to come to terms with the devastating loss.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened at about 11:51 p.m. on May 3 at the intersection of Georgia Highway 29 South and JW Warren Road in East Dublin. Investigators say a vehicle driven by 29-year-old Damarcus Tyrell Wimbush collided head-on with another car carrying a family.
Inside that vehicle were 35-year-old Chelsea Elizabeth Wilson and her 16-year-old daughter, Aliah Michelle Smith, along with two other children. Emergency responders rushed all four occupants to Fairview Park Hospital following the crash as rescuers worked urgently to save their lives.
Despite those efforts, both Wilson and Smith succumbed to their injuries. Authorities confirmed that Wilson was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m. Monday, while her daughter was pronounced dead at 2:37 a.m. Medical officials said both deaths were caused by multiple blunt force trauma sustained in the crash.
The two other children in the vehicle survived. One was treated and is expected to recover, while the other was airlifted to a hospital in Augusta for further care. Their conditions have not been fully released, but officials say they are receiving medical attention and support.
As word of the tragedy spreads, the Soperton community has been left grieving two lives cut short far too soon. Loved ones describe Chelsea Wilson as a devoted, caring, and selfless mother who centered her life around her children. Aliah Smith is being remembered as a bright, joyful teenager with a warm spirit and a future filled with promise. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing as the community leans on one another for strength during this painful loss.