Hephzibah Woman Charged After Fatal Crash on I-20 That Killed Unrestrained Passenger

Hephzibah Woman Charged After Fatal Crash on I-20 That Killed Unrestrained Passenger

Columbia County, GA – June 29, 2025 – A Hephzibah woman, Basheenia Lee, 48, is facing criminal charges following a tragic single-vehicle crash on Interstate 20 that ultimately claimed the life of her passenger, Mario Mallory, 40, of White Plains, Georgia. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office announced that Lee was charged Wednesday with homicide by vehicle in the second degree and failure to maintain lane in connection with the May 29 accident.

According to investigators, the crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. near mile marker 189, just west of Horizon South Parkway, as Lee was traveling eastbound in her 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck. Lee later admitted to deputies that she fell asleep behind the wheel while in the outside lane. Her vehicle veered off the south edge of the roadway, which jolted her awake. In a panic, she overcorrected, swerving sharply to the left and crossing all lanes of traffic before crashing into the north guardrail.

The force of the impact caused Lee’s vehicle to rebound back into traffic, where it collided with a 2018 Kia Soul driven by 20-year-old Zacharia Nolen of Grovetown. After the collision, the pickup truck rotated and flipped approximately three times, ejecting passenger Mario Mallory, who was not wearing a seatbelt.

Mallory suffered critical injuries and was transported to Doctors Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on June 4, nearly a week after the crash.

Lee was arrested and booked on the felony and traffic charges but was later released on a $2,200 bond. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the crash was preventable, citing driver fatigue as the primary cause and lack of seatbelt use as a contributing factor in the fatality.

The Kia Soul driven by Zacharia Nolen was also affected in the incident. Nolen’s vehicle was forced off the south shoulder, through a ditch, and finally came to rest in the center median. The report did not include information on Nolen’s physical condition following the crash.

An accident reconstruction team from CCSO produced a detailed illustration outlining the sequence of events, highlighting the severity of the swerving motion and multiple impacts involved.

The tragic accident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of drowsy driving and the importance of seatbelt use. Authorities are urging all drivers to take rest seriously during long trips and to ensure all passengers are securely restrained.

The investigation remains ongoing, and further court proceedings are expected as Lee faces charges related to the fatal collision.