A Hephzibah woman is facing criminal charges after a deadly crash that claimed the life of her passenger, who was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Basheenia Lee, 48, was charged Wednesday with homicide by vehicle in the second degree and failure to maintain lane, stemming from a May 29 accident on Interstate 20. She was later released on a $2,200 bond.
Investigators say Lee admitted she fell asleep while driving eastbound in the outside lane near mile marker 189, just west of Horizon South Parkway, around 6:30 a.m., a report says. Her 1994 Chevy pickup truck veered off the south edge of the roadway, waking her up. In a panic, she swerved sharply to the left, crossing all lanes of traffic before slamming into the north guardrail.
After striking the guardrail, Lee’s vehicle bounced back into traffic and collided with another 2018 Kia Soul driven by 20-year-old Zacharia Nolen of Grovetown. Lee’s vehicle then rotated and rolled approximately three times, ultimately ejecting her passenger, 40-year-old Mario Mallory of White Plains, Ga.
Mallory, who was not restrained, suffered critical injuries and was pronounced dead on June 4 at Doctors Hospital.
The crash also forced Nolen’s vehicle off the south shoulder and through a ditch before it came to rest in the median. Nolen’s condition was not released in the report.
Authorities determined Lee was at fault for the collision. Investigators also noted the vehicle she was driving had a canceled registration and uncertain insurance coverage, as ownership had reportedly changed hands years earlier.
Mallory, affectionately known as “Toot,” was a beloved father, son, and community member. He graduated from Greene County High School in 2004 and worked at Jim Whitehead Tires in Evans. He was also the founder and owner of Mallory Auto Service. A lifelong member of Flat Rock Missionary Baptist Church, he was remembered in his obituary as a devoted family man and entrepreneur.
He is survived by his mother, Anglette Mallory; eight children; one grandson; three brothers; one sister; and a large extended family.
