The Bryan County woman charged in the fatal crash that killed 35-year-old Donna Pitts in December 2024 entered a guilty plea in Bryan County Superior Court Thursday.
35-year-old Jacqlyn Morgan Bacot (Henderson) appeared with her attorney, Kurtis Bronston, Thursday to change her previous plea of ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty’ before Judge Charles Rose.
Bacot was driving a GMC Acadia on December 6, 2024 just before 4:00 p.m. when she caused a three-vehicle collision on Highway 17 near Ponderosa Road in Richmond Hill. Bacot hit a Kia Soul from behind, lost control of the vehicle, and crashed into a Toyota Highlander that was stopped at a stop sign. Donna Michelle Pitts, a passenger in the Kia Soul driven by her grandmother, was killed in the crash. A pregnant woman and her one-year-old child in the Highlander suffered minor injuries.
Following an investigation by the Georgia State Patrol and the return of blood results, Bacot was charged with
1 – Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree (felony)
2 – Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree (felony)
3 – Serious Injury by Vehicle (felony)
4 – Serious Injury by Vehicle (felony)
5 – Driving Under the Influence (Less Safe – Alcohol) (misdemeanor)
6 – Reckless Driving (misdemeanor)
7 – Making a False Statement (felony)
You can read the details of the crash, including details from the GSP report, here.
On Thursday morning, prosecutors laid out the facts of the case and what they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, including additional details not previously released. Prosecutors told the court that witnesses told law enforcement that Bacot’s vehicle was weaving in and out of traffic and one man reported she was driving with her flashers on “150 mph per hour.”
The assistant district attorney also said that Bacot was seated in her husband’s truck during the crash investigation. “She was chugging water while her husband removed items from her vehicle,” the ADA said, which was seen on dash camera footage.
Bacot also falsely reported that she had not been drinking and that the woman driving the other vehicle slammed on brakes, causing her to crash into the back of her vehicle.
The vehicle data, however, revealed that the other vehicle was traveling 15 mph and accelerating, not braking as Bacot said. Bacot’s vehicle showed she was driving 103 mph at 2.5 seconds before impact. At 1.5 seconds before impact, the vehicle showed the first signs of braking and the speed was 91 mph. At the time of impact, Bacot was driving 85 mph. The speed limit on the road was 45 mph.
Additionally, the state said it could prove that Bacot’s BAC was 0.097 at time of impact.
Bacot tearfully told the court that she admitted guilt on two of the pending felony counts.
- Count 2 – Homicide by Vehicle 1st degree (carries a sentence of 3-15 years)
- Count 4 – Serious Injury by Vehicle (carries a sentence of 1-15 years)
The other charges were nolle prossed, or dismissed.
Bacot’s plea was entered ‘open ended,’ which means her sentence is at the discretion of the judge and not pre-negotiated with the district attorney’s office for the judge to merely accept. The sentencing, however, did not take place Thursday and is tentatively scheduled for November. The state and defense will present evidence at that time and the victim’s family will also have the opportunity to make statements to the court.
Prior History
Court records indicate that Bacot-Henderson was charged with DUI in Chatham County in 2015. The Accusation filed by then-District Attorney Meg Heap stated that Bacot-Henderson was Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol while speeding on I-16.
Bacot-Henderson ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of Reckless Driving and Speeding and was sentenced to twelve months on probation and $1600 in fines, plus court fees.
In March 2017, the case was ‘unsuccessfully closed,’ with court notes indicating Bacot-Henderson was ‘unsuccessful’ on probation, failed to complete 8 community service hours, and did not pay her court ordered fines of $1,713.50.
