A Richmond Hill woman has been indicted by a grand jury on felony charges stemming from a fatal crash that claimed the life of another woman in December 2024.
On December 6, 2024 just before 4:00 p.m., a three-vehicle collision occurred on Highway 17 near Ponderosa Road in Richmond Hill. The driver of a GMC Acadia hit a Kia Soul from behind, lost control of the vehicle, and crashed into a Toyota Highlander that was stopped at a stop sign.
While authorities released to the media that driving under the influence was a contributing factor in the crash, no details were released other than the name of the deceased passenger in one of the vehicles struck by the Acadia – 35-year-old Donna Michelle Pitts.
But last month, a Bryan County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment during a special presentment for another 35-year-old woman – Jacqlyn Morgan Bacot (Henderson). Bacot-Henderson was driving the GMC Acadia.
Note: The report by GSP references Jacqlyn Morgan Bacot, as does the criminal indictment. The bond paperwork signed by Bacot is signed ‘Morgan Henderson‘ and she hand wrote ‘Henderson’ after Bacot on her bond release paperwork.
It is not unusual for there to be a lag between the time of a crash and an indictment, or even an arrest, as GSP SCRT traditionally waits for toxicology tests to come back from the state lab before issuing warrants when there is a fatality. That process can take months.
But there’s been next to no media coverage on the incident outside of what has since been revealed as a very violent crash.
Report from Georgia Department of Public Safety
A report prepared by the Georgia Department of Public Safety reveals a number of circumstances around the crash back in December, including Bacot-Henderson’s behavior when GSP’s Specialized Collison & Reconstruction Team (SCRT) investigators arrived on scene and field sobriety testing, echoing what was already published in warrants.
Crash
According to the crash report, Pitts was a passenger in the Kia Soul, riding with her grandmother who was also injured. A pregnant woman and her 1-year-old child were in the Toyota Highlander. Both vehicles were struck by Bacot-Henderson. Witnesses told troopers that Bacot-Henderson was ‘traveling too fast for traffic conditions.’
Warrants for Bacot-Henderson indicate that she was driving over 100 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, that the crash was captured on camera, and that data was obtained from the vehicle’s Airbag Control Module (ACM).
Bacot-Henderson’s Behavior
Trooper Wannamaker noted that when he arrived on scene, the Kia Soul was ‘severely damaged and debris was scattered all over the scene.’ Bacot-Henderson was sitting in an uninvolved pick-up truck, ‘chugging a Burger King cup of some form of liquid.’ He instructed a Richmond Hill police officer who was on scene assisting to test the contents of the cup, which came back negative for alcohol, and noted that she was ‘very argumentative with bystanders’ at the crash scene.
“She showed numerous mood swings throughout the entirety of me speaking with her. Such as crying, withdrawal, and anger,” Trooper Wannamaker wrote. When asked when she last had something to drink, Bacot-Henderson said ‘two hours ago’ and stated it was a ‘regular class that was full’ of wine.
This followed an interview with Trooper Chambers, to whom Bacot-Henderson said ‘the car in front of her slammed on brakes’ and she didn’t remember anything else. She first denied having any alcohol, but later admitted having a glass of wine when she got off work at 4:30 p.m. (The crash reportedly happened at 3:56 p.m.).
Odor of Alcohol & Field Sobriety
According to the report, at least two Troopers who interacted with Bacot-Henderson recorded that her breath smelled of alcohol. Trooper Wannamaker’s report indicated that ‘her steps were staggered’ as she walked to the front of his vehicle to answer questions and she had to use his push bumper ‘to stabilize herself.’
Notably, the report lists that law enforcement obtained a warrant for a blood sample. Bacot-Henderson also submitted to a PBT, which indicated .056, or simply confirmed that she had consumed alcohol. Additionally, the state does not have to rely solely on blood test results to contend that intoxication was a contributing factor to the crash.
Indicators marked on the report during the investigation indicate the following:
- Her eyes were bloodshot and watery
- She was ‘argumentative, crying, talkative, and withdrawn,’
- Her general appearance showed ‘disheveled clothing’
- Speech patterns were ‘confused, mumbled, slow, slurred.’
Arrest & Transport to the Hospital
According to the report, Bacot-Henderson was placed under arrest for Driving Under the Influence and was en route to Memorial Hospital in Savannah for medical clearance when she told Trooper Wannamaker that she did not want medical clearance and she “was fine.” The Trooper informed her that she would have to inform medical staff of her decline of care and they would proceed from there.
The report indicates, however, that Bacot-Henderson told medical personnel that she had had a shoulder ache and a neck ache. As a result, she was taken for x-rays and was released to Memorial Hospital, as opposed to the Bryan County Jail. The SCRT investigator indicated that any ‘enforcement action’ would be taken through the warrant process. As a result, she was not booked into the jail in December.
During the course of transport, Troopers learned that Donna Pitts succumbed to her injuries sustained in the crash.
Indictment
On March 20, 2025, a Bryan County grand jury returned a True Bill of Indictment on seven counts during a special presentment.
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)
The indictment contends that Bacot-Henderson was driving under the influence of alcohol and was driving recklessly when she drove more than 30 miles over the posted speed limit of 45 mph “in moderate to heavy traffic conditions while weaving in and out of traffic after having consumed alcohol.” According to the warrants, she was driving over 100 miles per hour.
The indictment also alleges that Bacot-Henderson told one of the responding Troopers that she had not consumed alcohol, prompting the False Statement charge.
Homicide by Vehicle in the first degree is punishable by three to fifteen years in prison.
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.
Next Steps
Bacot-Henderson’s case will work its way through the court system with her next hearing scheduled in May. She is out on $19,000 bond, as is common in these types of cases and was ordered to be evaluated by a substance abuse facility upon her release from jail. Bacot-Henderson is represented by criminal defense attorney Kurtis Bronston.
