Georgia State Patrol Public Information Officer Gordy Wright said about Tuesday at 5:47 p.m. a 1996 Ford Bronco driven by Brent Leighton Lynch, 35, of Calhoun was eastbound on Georgia Highway 53 near Mauldin in Gordon County when the vehicle ran off the road on the right side, re-entered the roadway and struck a 2006 Kia Spectra head-on. The Kia was driven by April Nacoale Winters, 40, from Cartersville.
The crash killed Winters and two passengers in her vehicle — Taneka Akey, 21, of Cartersville, and Niyla Akey, 27 days old, of Cartersville.
Lynch and a passenger in his vehicle, Crystal Lynch, 35, of Calhoun were injured and taken to Erlanger for treatment. Two other passengers in the Kia — Alexis Gardner, 20, and Ratanza Winters, 20, both of Cartersville — also were taken to Erlanger for injuries.
Wright said the crash is under investigation by GSP Calhoun and the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team. Charges against Lynch are pending at this time.
Kingston PD seeks assistance in post office vandalism
The Kingston Police Department on Wednesday took to social media for help in catching those responsible for damage at the post office.
The department’s Facebook page said damage had occurred periodically since June.
“The first incident during this span, reported on 06/14/2012 resulted in unknown person(s) entering the lobby of the post office, pouring soda down the outgoing mailbox, attempting to enter the main portion of the building through the ceiling tiles, and pulling the lobby table away from the wall by removing the bolts,” the Facebook post read. “A second, third, and fourth incident has taken place since then including the mail trucks being tampered with including removing fuel, side mirrors, and removing lettering from the side of the building. The latest incident, occuring sometime between 5:40 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 6:25 a.m. [Wednesday], resulted in unknown person(s) entering the lobby, busting multiple eggs against the walls and lockers, setting off fireworks on the lobby floor, and dropping eggs and a lit firecracker in the outgoing mail drop box causing damage to the mail and box itself.
“These incidents are serious and will not be taken lightly, however, the department needs the public's assistance with any leads or suspicious behavior that may have been seen.”
Those with any information are asked to call 770-336-5507, email chiefpatterson.kpd@gmail.com, send the department a Facebook message or visit the department. All information will remain anonymous.
Cartersville police say no new information in Statler homicide
Cartersville police have no new information in the shooting death of 28-year-old Randall Statler.
Cartersville Police Department Public Information Officer Capt. Mark Camp on Wednesday advised media that “there is no new news” in the case of Statler’s death. Statler was found shot once in the head at Sun-Glo Car Wash on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Cartersville just after 11 p.m. on Dec. 16.
According to authorities, Statler was shot once between 7 and 11 p.m. while he washed mud from his truck at the car wash. Although robbery had been suspected, that motive was questioned after police say the only thing taken was the victim’s cellphone.
Camp said last week that the phone was taken but cash and other items of value “were just left in plain view.”
“Investigators are still diligently working on the case but no new leads have developed at this point,” Camp said in the update Wednesday.
He said a $3,000 reward was being offered for information in the case. Anyone with information is urged to call the department at 770-382-2526.