Tragic Road Rage Incident Claims Life of Florida Mom on Birthday
Grab your tissues, because a family’s joyous celebration turned into unspeakable tragedy on February 22, when Georgeann Park Garner, a 48-year-old single mother, was shot dead in a road rage incident in Panama City, Florida. Yep, no one expected a festive birthday outing to spiral into such horror, and this is the kind of headline you wish was fiction. Garner was out celebrating not only her birthday but also Mardi Gras with her daughter, Marileigh Lewis, 19, when a minor traffic dispute escalated into violence—all in front of Marileigh.
Here’s how it went down: Georgeann and Marileigh found themselves in a confrontation with Jubal Simmons, 23, and Ivybella Encino, 21, who apparently took exception to something—likely driving-related—and decided to unleash their rage, verbally and quickly physically assaulting Garner’s daughter, Lewis. Sounds like they could have used a serious lesson in conflict resolution, am I right?
After a brief separation, things took a turn for the worse. Simmons allegedly shot both women a whopping 11 times, striking them in the chest while also hitting an uninvolved vehicle. How’s that for a “you need to calm down” moment? While Marileigh is still in the ICU—fighting for her life on a ventilator—Georgeann succumbed to her injuries almost immediately after reaching the hospital. The family is dealing with both grief and mounting medical and funeral expenses; hence, there’s a GoFundMe page set up by Georgeann’s friend to help with those costs.
As the cops swooped in, Encino tried to flee but ended up ramming a patrol unit, getting arrested almost immediately. Simmons, however, decided to run like the wind, but was caught not far from where he fled, facing numerous charges including murder and attempted murder. This heinous act has shattered a family and left a community reeling. As friends remember Georgeann as a woman with a smile that could “light up a room”, we’re left to wonder, what’s it going to take for road rage to stop before it claims more innocent lives?
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and People Magazine, GoFundMe, Panama City Police Department Press Release
