COVINGTON, Ga. — Two people were seriously hurt in a crash that closed state Route 138 in Walton County last week.

The wreck happened at about 2:40 p.m. in unincorporated Covington, a little less than 2 miles northeast of Walnut Grove at Highway 138 and Pirklefield Drive.

A black Jeep Liberty heading east on Highway 138 toward Monroe went off the south shoulder of the road for an unknown reason and overcorrected. The Jeep went back on the roadway, crossed the centerline and struck a westbound silver Honda Accord head-on.

The Jeep overturned off the north shoulder of the highway. The Honda was split in two and forced off the north shoulder. The driver, 48-year-old Bobby Bell of Decatur, was thrown several feet from the car.

Emergency personnel had to extract the driver of the Jeep, 26-year-old Mondarius Prince of Monroe.

Prince and Bell both were driven by ambulances to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center with critical injuries.

Both drivers were using seatbelts, Cpl. Cal Barton of the Georgia State Patrol said.

It was unknown if alcohol or drug impairment, or distracted driving, were factors.

Barton said the GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team has taken over the investigation.

Walton EMS, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Walton County Fire Rescue also responded.