A mental evaluation on competency has paused the prosecution of a concrete truck driver accused of causing a five-vehicle crash that killed a pregnant Effingham County teacher last year.
Background
Grayling Randy McCombs was driving a 2018 Mack Model Concrete Truck for Evans Concrete on April 3, 2025 when he caused a five-vehicle collision on Highway 80 in Effingham County. McCombs struck a sedan driven by Carly Donna Holubik, an Effingham County teacher who was pregnant at the time, causing a chain reaction of crashes into other vehicles. Holubik died at the scene and another driver was injured. Court documents allege that McCombs operated the commercial vehicle in reckless disregard for the safety of others by “failing to observe the roadway in front of him, upon which numerous vehicles were stopped” because he was looking at his GPS.
Investigators with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit ultimately took out warrants for McCombs for Homicide by Vehicle (1st degree), Feticide by Vehicle (1st degree), Serious Injury by Vehicle (for injuries to a second driver in another vehicle), Distracted Driving, Reckless Driving, and Following Too Closely.
McCombs was in the Chatham County Jail on unrelated misdemeanor charges when warrants were issued for his arrest in Effingham County. He remained in jail for four months before he was transported to Effingham County in January 2026. In late February, a judge set a $25,000 bond for McCombs, but it was never posted and he’s remained in jail ever since.
A grand jury returned a True Bill of Indictment for McCombs in May 2026 and McCombs pleaded Not Guilty on June 12. The following month, Daveniya Fisher of the Public Defender’s Office filed a motion for an Evaluation of Mental Competency, which was ultimately granted as required by law.
Georgia Law and Evaluations for Mental Competency
By law, a person facing criminal charges must have a sufficient ability to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings, comprehend their own situation in relation to those proceedings, and assist their attorney in preparing a defense.
Competency is different from Degree of Criminal Responsibility at the Time of the Act in that competency relates to a defendant’s mental condition at the time of the criminal proceedings, whereas criminal responsibility at the time of the act relates to the mental condition when the alleged crime occurred.
Under Georgia law, a defendant who is not mentally competent to stand trial cannot be tried, convicted, or sentenced while that incompetency persists. A finding of incompetency, however, does not automatically result in dismissal of the criminal charges.
When a defense attorney believes competency may be in question, they must file a motion with the court to obtain an evaluation. A judge then determines if there is sufficient doubt regarding competency and, if so, must order a psychological evaluation through the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). If a defendant is determined to be incompetent, DBHDD determines the appropriate treatment, but must make reports to the court.
After a determination of incompetency, a person is then evaluated to determine if there is ‘substantial probability that competency can be restored in the foreseeable future.’ If restoration is possible, the person undergoes treatment and then faces charges. If restoration is not an option, the court has guidelines to follow regarding civil commitment and, in some cases, a dismissal of charges.
Findings of Mental Evaluation for Grayling McCombs
In an Order signed last month, the Court wrote that Dr. Amy Gambow from the Georgia DDBHDD evaluated McCombs on September 9, 2026 and determined that McCombs is not competent to stand trial.
“Dr. Gambow opined that Mr. McCombs presently lacks the capacity to understand the nature and object of the proceedings, does not fully comprehend his current condition in reference to the charges against him, and does not appear capable of assisting his attorney in preparing a defense,” the Order reads.
The Order further reads that “It is agreed by both parties [the State and the defense] that the Plea of Mental Incompetency to Stand Trial is sustained and the Defendant is adjudicated Incompetent to Stand Trial.”
Accordingly, McCombs was placed on a list to receive competency restoration treatment at an inpatient hospital. Additionally, the Order requires that:
- DBHDD must evaluate McCombs within 90 days to determine if there is a substantial probability that McCombs will attain mental competency to stand trial in the foreseeable future and report those findings to the Court.
- McCombs will be restored for up to nine months. At the end of nine months, or at any time prior to the nine-month expiration, DBHDD determines that the recovery of McCombs mental competency to stand trial is not expected at any time in the foreseeable future, DBHDD is required to notify the Court with detailed reasons.
- DBHDD provides monthly reports on McCombs’ progress to the Court.
- If DBHDD determines McCombs is capable of understanding the nature of the proceedings and his own condition, he must return to the Effingham County Jail to stand trial.
Whether McCombs can be restored and then stand trial is still to be determined, but the charges remain pending until a final determination is made on his competency.
As of October 13, 2026, McCombs was still in the Effingham County Jail and had not been transferred to a DBHDD facility.
TheGeorgiaVirtue reported last week that more than 834 people are currently waiting on a bed at a DBHDD facility to receive restoration services. As of October 1, 2026, DBHDD reported that the wait list for admission to state forensic in-patient hospitals for male defendants averages 45 days, or 13.6 months.
