A driver accused of hitting and killing a mother of seven on a Newton County highway last month has died, authorities said Tuesday.
James Jenkins, 50, of Monticello, was found dead in Jasper County on Monday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. Jenkins was identified as the driver of a Ford vehicle that fatally struck 44-year-old Covington resident Deanna Mattheus on Jan. 30.
Mattheus was hit around 11:45 a.m. on Ga. 36, just south of Laurie Lane in Covington, the sheriff’s office said. Sgt. Jack Redlinger located the woman off the road just east of the northbound lane, an incident report states. The crash occurred amid foggy conditions.
Jenkins and the vehicle, which had damage to its passenger side, were located following an investigation, according to authorities. It’s unclear if he died when law enforcement arrived at his location.
Mattheus also had two grandchildren, according to her obituary. Channel 2 Action News reported that she was walking home from a store when the car hit her. Her family has set up a memorial near the scene of the crash.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“She was a funny, laid-back girl,” her brother, Robert Grimes, told the news station at the time. “She liked friends and family, hanging out with people.”
A GoFundMe page was set up by her family this month to cover funeral costs. As of Tuesday morning, it had raised more than $2,000.
