COOK COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - A plea hearing was held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Cook County Superior Court in connection with a deadly DUI crash that claimed the life of U.S. Navy 2nd Petty Officer Janell Mitchell.

The hearing was held before Judge Bennett as the driver accused in the crash, Andrew Linton Williams, returned to court and entered a guilty plea to one count of vehicular homicide.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened on Sept. 1, 2024, along Interstate 75 in Cook County. Troopers say a Chevrolet Corvette traveling more than 120 miles per hour struck another vehicle from behind, resulting in a fiery collision that caused the car Mitchell was in to explode, killing her at the scene. Investigators later determined alcohol was a factor in the crash. Williams survived and was transported to Tift Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Williams was arrested on July 25, 2025, nearly ten months after the crash, and was booked into the Cook County Jail on charges related to DUI and the fatal collision. Following his arrest, he remained in custody. Court records show Williams has prior DUI convictions, making him a repeat DUI offender before the crash that killed Mitchell.

During the plea hearing, multiple members of Mitchell’s family gave emotional victim impact statements in court.

“I ask of this court, Your Honor, I ask not for revenge, but for justice,” said her mother, Tinesha Morgan-Henry. “The defendant made a choice that night. He chose to drink. He chose to drive. And because of that choice, my daughter is dead. There is no sentence that will bring Janelle back. There is no punishment that will undo the devastation this has caused. But I respectfully and urgently ask this court to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law, not only because my daughter deserves justice, but because the next family deserves to be protected from this kind of senseless, preventable tragedy.”

Other family members also spoke, telling the court the loss has permanently changed their lives.

“We’ll never be the same, a whole family torn apart forever,” one family member said. “A choice that not only took a life, but shattered a family, broken up in friendship, broken countless hearts. It left an emptiness that cannot be filled.”

Judge Bennett addressed Williams directly before handing down the sentence.

“Mr. Williams, I hope you’ve seen how just this one reckless act has erased a life that they’ll never see again and won’t get to experience the rest of her life, or her family, or her friends have hurt in their life,” Judge Bennett said.

Williams was sentenced to 15 years, with seven years and six months to be served in the Department of Corrections and the remaining time to be served on probation.

After the sentence was handed down, Morgan-Henry said the day marked the beginning of a new chapter for the family.

“Healing is a bittersweet day today. We can finally start the healing process, whatever that looks like. We are pleased that the judge did grant the maximum allowed,” she said.

Williams has 30 days to withdraw his plea.

WALB will provide updates as more information becomes available following the court proceedings.

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