A wrong-way crash on the Georgia Highway 10 (Loop 10) Inner Loop in Athens has now claimed three lives — including a pregnant passenger and her unborn child.
As investigators continue working to piece together what happened in the minutes leading up to the chain-reaction collision.
Athens-Clarke County Police said officers were alerted around 12:08 a.m. after reports of a vehicle traveling the wrong direction near Chase Street.
Moments later, calls came in reporting a major crash near Oglethorpe Avenue.
Investigators determined a 2021 Kia Seltos driven by Desiree Browning, 26, of Lawrenceville, was traveling the wrong way when it first struck a 2021 Mercedes-Benz and a 2020 Ford Expedition.
Then continued before colliding head-on with a 2017 Toyota Camry. After the impact, the Kia entered cable barriers and caught fire, police said.
Police confirmed Soonhoon Choi, 25, of Athens — the driver of the Toyota Camry — and Desiree Browning both died at the scene.
In an update released later, police identified the Toyota’s front-seat passenger as Sara Waldroup, 25, of Athens.
Authorities said Waldroup — who was pregnant — and her 15-week-old fetus later died from injuries suffered in the crash.
Police said a passenger in the Toyota and a passenger in the Kia were transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
The occupants of the Mercedes-Benz and the Ford Expedition were injured, but their injuries were described as not life-threatening.
Because the suspected wrong-way driver, Desiree Browning, also died at the scene, there may never be a traditional “suspect arrest” in this case.
But the investigation is still active, including unanswered questions about what caused the wrong-way driving in the first place.
Police have not publicly said whether impairment, speed, or other factors played a role.
Athens-Clarke County Police noted the crash is the eighth fatal crash in Athens-Clarke County in 2025, bringing the year’s total to 12 traffic deaths.
For the Athens community, the names at the center of this tragedy — Soonhoon Choi, Sara Waldroup, Desiree Browning, and Waldroup’s unborn child.
Have become a painful reminder of how quickly an ordinary drive can turn catastrophic, and how one wrong-way entry can ripple into multiple families’ lives in a matter of seconds.
