Athens woman dies after collision on Jefferson Road

The following was released today by ACCPD

On September 10, 2026, at approximately 2:45 PM, the Athens-Clarke County Police

Department responded to a crash at the intersection of Jefferson Road and Lakeland Drive. The initial investigation determined that the driver of a 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, Helen Blackmon, a 78-year-old female of Athens, GA, was traveling northbound on Jefferson Road and attempted to turn left onto Lakeland Drive. While turning, the Equinox collided with a 2025 Chevrolet Traverse traveling southbound.

Both drivers were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries at the time of the investigation. On September 13, 2026, investigators learned that Blackmon succumbed to her injuries.

This is an ongoing investigation, and anyone with information about the crash is asked to

contact Senior Police Officer Barnard at Lauren.barnard@accgov.com or 762-400-7222.

This is the ninth fatality crash of 2026.