GEORGIA — A 47-year-old mother was killed and her 9-year-old son was critically injured following a crash on Interstate 75 in Monroe County Monday evening, according to the county coroner.
Monroe County Coroner Mark Goolsby said the woman, identified as Tomiyia Jean Smith of Mount Sterling, Ohio, was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 8:30 p.m.
Investigators said Smith was driving northbound on I-75 when her vehicle struck the rear of a flatbed trailer that was parked on the right shoulder of the highway near mile marker 188 in the Forsyth area.
Authorities said the trailer was attached to an 18-wheeler and the driver of that vehicle was not at the scene at the time of the crash. One person was reportedly working on the truck when the collision occurred, but that individual was not injured.
Smith’s 9-year-old son, who was also in the vehicle, was airlifted to Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta. Officials said he remains in critical condition.
The crash led to the closure of several northbound lanes of I-75 for approximately three hours, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. Traffic was eventually reopened after emergency crews cleared the scene.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash, with assistance from the Forsyth Police Department. The investigation remains ongoing.
