Bond Revoked

Middle Judicial Circuit Chief Superior Court Judge Robert Reeves revoked the bond of Lauren Brooke Wilcher, 18, of Uvalda, during court on Thursday morning, July 18.

Wilcher is facing two felony counts of vehicular homicide, a felony count of serious injury by vehicle, speeding, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, and DUI under the age of 18 (alcohol) for the accident which took the lives of Brooke Williamson and Kyle Jackson, and left Caleb Howell seriously injured.

According to the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, emergency responders were dispatched to the intersection of Georgia Highway 130 West (Adams Street) and Kingswood Drive in reference to a single car accident at 12:46 a.m. on March 9. Upon arrival, deputies found a Dodge Charger R/T that had left the roadway and crashed. Four teenagers were occupants of the vehicle including Lauren Wilcher, 18, of Uvalda; Brooke Williamson, 18, of Oak Park; Caleb Howell, 19, of Odum; and Kyle Jackson, 19, of Vidalia. continued from page

Deputies indicated that the vehicle, driven by Wilcher, carrying the teens was traveling west on the highway when it left the road and struck a pine tree.

Williamson and Jackson succumbed to their injuries at the scene. Howell was ejected from the vehicle and Wilcher was found in the vehicle. Both Howell and Wilcher were transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah with life-threatening injuries.

The Georgia State Patrol Post 18 (Reidsville) investigated the accident, and Wilcher was arrested on March 22, but was released the same day on bond.

During the hearing on Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Wilson told Judge Reeves that Wilcher had violated the terms of her bond first by contacting fellow crash survivor Caleb Howell by text message. Howell told Judge Reeves that though the messages did not appear endangering, he felt threatened by them.

In addition to this, Toombs County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Robin Banks told the judge that she had been assigned to monitor Wilcher’s location through an ankle monitor and had found that she also did not follow her curfew restrictions and had been going to places that were prohibited by her bond conditions, which had been agreed upon, written, and signed by Wilcher.

Judge Reeves spoke directly to the 18 year old, stating that he felt these violations were intentional, and suspended her bond. Wilcher was taken directly to the Toombs County Detention Center from court by the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office, and will remain behind bars until her trial. She is expected to be indicted by the Toombs County Grand Jury in September.