DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB) — A family in Douglas is wanting answers and justice after David Lee Simpson, 57, was killed in a wreck involving a teen driver who reportedly ran a red light.

At this time, no charges have been filed against the teen. The Georgia Department of Public Safety said toxicology results from the driver’s blood draw are still pending.

Simpson died the night of Aug. 27 after a 19-year-old driver reportedly ran a red light and hit his SUV, according to official documents. The wreck happened around 10 p.m. at the intersection of GA 31 (Peterson Avenue South) and Bowens Mill Road SE in Douglas.

Simpson’s nephew, Donderion Simpson, said the family is still waiting for charges to be filed against the driver.

“We just want justice,” Donderion Simpson said. “It won’t bring him back no matter what happens, what time that you know the person gets. But it’ll give us a little bit of peace to know that somebody held accountable for it.”

Remembering David Lee Simpson

Donderion said his uncle was a family man who worked and was active in the community.

“Made everybody laugh that ran into him,” Donderion said. “If you ran into him, you would laugh. That’s just who he was. Good man. Real good man.”

Donderion said his uncle helped raise him and his children.

“He raised me since I was a little baby,” Donderion said. “Took me in, stayed with me and my grandmama. And raised all my kids. Helped me raise my kids anyway. Like any kid that didn’t have a father figure, he was their father figure.”

Donderion said his uncle was at his son’s football game the day of the crash. He said his uncle had not been able to attend games as often as he’d like because of a medical condition that required surgery.

“He was happy,” Donderion said. “Because he hadn’t been to one since last year. And he only went to one because of his condition. He’d be in surgery and stuff like that. Couldn’t get around that much no more.”

Donderion said he learned of the crash when his mom called him after the game.

Crash details

Official documents show the teen was driving a silver 2017 Ford Fusion north on GA 31 when she ran a red light and hit a white 2014 Infiniti QX80 driven by Simpson, who was headed west on Bowens Mill Road SE at the time of the crash.

Simpson was trapped in his SUV and was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner’s office at 11:35 p.m.

The teen driver and three people who were in Simpson’s SUV, including an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old, were taken to a hospital. It’s unclear how serious their injuries are.

The report from the Georgia Department of Public Safety notes there were three witnesses to the wreck. One witness confirmed seeing the teen run the red light. The other two witnesses were in the same car, which was facing south waiting to turn left onto GA 31. They said Simpson was making a left turn facing north on GA 31 when his SUV was hit and flipped. Both witnesses got out of the car to help rescue the children from the wreckage.

The teenager agreed to have her blood drawn at the scene. Results of that toxicology report are pending.

Documents requested by WALB show the Georgia Department of Public Safety issued the same teen a courtesy warning in January of 2025 for speeding on the same road where the deadly wreck happened.

The Coffee County sheriff said the teen was let go the night of the wreck, but that charges may be pending. Results of the blood draw have not yet been released.

Family reaction

Donderion said the driver was at the hospital with Simpson’s family the night of the crash, but has not reached out to apologize.

“Nobody got an apology or anything,” Donderion said.

Donderion said the family has not been contacted directly by law enforcement with updates on the investigation.

“Everything I got here now, it’s not even no law enforcement, nobody coming direct,” Donderion said. “It’s just hearing it from other people.”

Donderion’s mother, David’s sister, said an officer told her he would come speak with her the night of the crash, but never did. She said she was told to go to the hospital and was not shown her brother’s body.

Donderion said family members were told to leave the crash scene, including the parking lot of a nearby Burger King, the night of the crash.

Donderion said to this day, the family has not seen David’s body or formally identified him. He said the family knows only that it was his SUV involved in the crash.

Donderion said a GoFundMe has been set up to help the family, and funeral arrangements are being finalized.

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