Fleeing driver charged with vehicular homicide in hit-and-run, police say

A 36-year-old woman was charged with vehicular homicide in the Saturday night hit-and-run on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard that killed 35-year-old Kassandra “Kassie” Hollinhead, Columbus police said.

Jovonne Williams, who authorities identified as the fleeing driver, was also charged with one count each of leaving the scene of an accident, no proof of insurance, duty to report an accident, and driving without a license. She was booked into the Muscogee County Jail for a 2 p.m. Wednesday hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Officials said they were called to scene around 10 p.m. Saturday to investigate the wreck. They determined that a Columbus woman driving a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina was headed westbound on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as another individual was traveling eastbound on the same roadway in a 1995 Ford Explorer.

The pedestrian was crossing Martin Luther King Boulevard near Murray Street when the left front of the westbound vehicle struck her. Afterward, the second driver struck her and fled the scene.

Hollinhead of Columbus was pronounced dead of blunt-force trauma at 10:44 p.m., Muscogee County Deputy Coroner Charles Newton said.

A report released from the Columbus Police Department on Sunday listed Williams as the fleeing driver, gave her personal information, and provided a detailed description of the vehicle.

No arrests were made until Williams turned herself into authorities at the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office at 5:45 p.m. Monday. At the time, she had outstanding warrants for violation of probation and financial transactions card fraud.

Columbus Police Sgt. Fred Carnes declined to elaborate on when and how Williams was identified as the fleeing driver. As of Tuesday afternoon, no one else has been charged in the fatal crash.

This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Fleeing driver charged with vehicular homicide in hit-and-run, police say."