Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal Killed in Augusta Crash on Riverwatch Parkway: Remembering Two Young Lives Lost Near Confederate Power Works Chimney.

AUGUSTA, GA – The Richmond County community is grappling with an overwhelming sense of grief this week following the sudden and tragic deaths of two young individuals whose lives were cut short in a violent, single-vehicle crash along a notoriously winding stretch of Riverwatch Parkway. The victims have been identified as Devon Briggs, a 23-year-old resident of Buena Vista, Georgia, and Evelyn Plakal, a 22-year-old from Elgin, South Carolina.

According to official statements released jointly by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Richmond County Coroner’s Office, the fatal incident unfolded on Monday evening, though preliminary investigations suggest the crash sequence began on April 18. The scene was located near the 2-mile marker of Riverwatch Parkway, in close proximity to Goodrich Street—a location that sits within the long shadow of Augusta’s historic Confederate Power Works chimney, a local landmark that now stands as a silent witness to yet another roadway tragedy.

The Incident: A High-Speed Curve and a Catastrophic Overturn

Emergency dispatchers received the first calls reporting a serious traffic accident shortly after 6:00 p.m. Deputies from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene to find a mangled vehicle that had suffered near-total destruction. The initial investigation, still ongoing as of this publication, has revealed a harrowing sequence of events.

Authorities believe that the vehicle, driven by Devon Briggs, was traveling westbound on Riverwatch Parkway at a speed significantly higher than the posted limit. As the roadway curves in that section—an area known to locals for reduced visibility and sharp geometry—Briggs lost control of the vehicle. According to crash scene reconstruction experts, the car first veered off the north shoulder of the pavement, narrowly missing oncoming traffic before slamming into a guardrail with tremendous force.

The impact with the guardrail did not stop the vehicle’s momentum. Instead, the car ricocheted violently, careening down a steep embankment in the direction of Goodrich Street. It was during this descent that the vehicle overturned multiple times. The final resting position was found with the roof crushed and the passenger compartment catastrophically compromised.

Devon Briggs was not wearing a seatbelt, according to preliminary findings. He was ejected from the driver’s side window upon the first or second rollover. Evelyn Plakal, who had been riding as a passenger, remained inside the overturned wreckage. Despite the rapid response of emergency medical services, firefighters, and law enforcement, both individuals had sustained injuries incompatible with life.

At precisely 5:56 p.m., just minutes before the first 911 calls were even being logged, both Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal were pronounced deceased at the scene by the Richmond County Coroner’s Office.

Remembering Devon Briggs: A Son of Buena Vista, Georgia

For those who knew him, Devon Briggs was much more than a name in a police report. Growing up in Buena Vista, a small, tight-knit city in Marion County, Devon was described by family friends as energetic, loyal, and always eager to make those around him laugh. He graduated from Marion County High School, where he was known for his sense of humor and his love for cars—a passion that, in a cruel twist of fate, played a role in his untimely passing.

In the hours following the public release of his name, social media was flooded with tributes from classmates and acquaintances. “Devon had a heart bigger than this whole town,” wrote one childhood friend. “He would give you his last dollar if you needed it. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

Devon had recently been working in the Augusta area, splitting his time between his family home in Buena Vista and a temporary residence in Richmond County. He was known to enjoy spending weekends with friends, listening to music, and planning for a future that, by all accounts, was just beginning to take shape. At only 23, he had dreams of starting his own small business—something involving automotive customization, according to those close to him.

Remembering Evelyn Plakal: A Light from Elgin, South Carolina

Evelyn Plakal, just 22 years old, hailed from Elgin, South Carolina, a quiet suburban community northeast of Columbia. Evelyn was remembered by her family as a gentle soul with a sharp mind and an artistic eye. She had recently graduated from a two-year college program and was working in retail management while exploring further educational opportunities in graphic design.

“Evelyn saw beauty in things that most people walk right past,” her mother said in a brief, tearful statement released through a family spokesperson. “She could take a photo of a puddle on the sidewalk and make it look like a painting. She was our artist, our peacemaker, and our joy.”

Friends recall Evelyn as someone who was both adventurous and cautious—a paradox that her loved ones said made her uniquely charming. She met Devon Briggs through mutual friends approximately a year ago, and the two had been in a close relationship for several months. Evelyn had been visiting Devon in Augusta over the weekend leading up to the crash, intending to return to Elgin on the Tuesday following the Monday evening tragedy.

Instead, her family received the kind of phone call no one ever prepares for.

The Scene: A Dangerous Stretch of Roadway

Riverwatch Parkway in Augusta is a heavily traveled arterial road that follows the Savannah River for several miles. While much of the parkway is straight and well-lit, the section near Goodrich Street and the historic Confederate Power Works chimney is known to local drivers as a deceptive curve. The speed limit drops in that area, and yet, according to data from the Richmond County traffic division, it has been the site of no fewer than a dozen serious injury accidents in the past five years.

The Confederate Power Works chimney, built in the 19th century, stands as a relic of the industrial South. But on the evening of April 18, it was merely a backdrop to tragedy. Witnesses who were driving in the opposite direction reported seeing headlights moving erratically just before the crash. One witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told investigators, “I saw the car swerve like they were trying to correct something, and then it just disappeared off the road. By the time I looked in my rearview mirror, I just saw dust and debris flying up from the embankment.”

Investigation Continues: Speed and Possible Impairment Under Review

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has stated that their investigation remains active and ongoing. While officials have confirmed that excessive speed was a contributing factor, they have not yet ruled out other potential causes, including distraction, mechanical failure, or possible impairment. Toxicology reports for both Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal are pending and could take several weeks to be completed.

Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. William McCord addressed the media briefly on Tuesday morning. “This is a heartbreaking case for everyone involved—for our deputies, for the coroner’s staff, and most of all for the families of these two young people,” McCord said. “We are committed to finding out exactly what happened in those final seconds. But no finding will bring them back, and that weighs heavily on all of us.”

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no other injuries were reported. The vehicle, a late-model sedan, has been impounded for a full forensic mechanical inspection.

Community Grief: Two Towns, One Shared Loss

In Buena Vista, Georgia, a small community of fewer than 2,000 residents, the loss of Devon Briggs has been felt acutely. A vigil is being organized by former classmates at the Marion County High School football field, where Devon once played as an underclassman. “We don’t lose young people like this often here,” said local pastor David Rawlings. “When we do, it shakes the whole town. Devon was known. He wasn’t just a face. He was a neighbor’s son, a friend’s brother, a teammate.”

In Elgin, South Carolina, the news of Evelyn Plakal’s death has prompted an outpouring of support for her family. A GoFundMe campaign was launched late Tuesday by a cousin to assist with funeral expenses and to bring Evelyn’s body back home to South Carolina. Within 12 hours, the campaign had raised over $8,000—a testament to the young woman’s impact on her community.

Evelyn’s former art instructor at Midlands Technical College posted a tribute online: “Evelyn had a quiet determination. She didn’t seek the spotlight, but when her work was on display, everyone noticed. She had a gift, and it’s devastating to think we’ll never see what she would have created next.”

The Aftermath: A Lifelong Impact on Families

For the families of Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal, the coming weeks will be filled with funeral arrangements, memorial services, and the agonizing task of sorting through the belongings of children who left home one evening and never returned.

Devon Briggs is survived by his parents, Mark and Lisa Briggs of Buena Vista, as well as an older sister, Morgan, and a younger brother, Caleb. Funeral services are pending but are expected to take place at Buena Vista Baptist Church, with burial to follow at a local cemetery.

Evelyn Plakal is survived by her parents, Thomas and Karen Plakal of Elgin, and two younger sisters, Hannah and Abigail. A memorial service is being planned in Elgin, with a second gathering likely to be held in Augusta to honor friends she made during her time there.

Both families have requested privacy as they navigate their grief. Through a joint statement released by a family liaison, they said: “We ask that you remember Devon and Evelyn not for how they died, but for how they lived—with love, with laughter, and with so much hope. Hold your loved ones close. Life changes in an instant.”

A Broader Conversation: Young Lives and Roadway Safety

The deaths of Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal have also reignited conversations about young driver safety on Georgia’s roadways. According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, drivers between the ages of 16 and 25 account for a disproportionate number of speed-related fatal crashes each year. In 2023 alone, more than 200 young drivers lost their lives in accidents across the state—many of them on roads like Riverwatch Parkway, where curves, lighting, and guardrails can only do so much against excessive speed.

Traffic safety advocates have pointed to this tragedy as a reminder of the importance of seatbelt use. The fact that Devon Briggs was ejected from the vehicle—while Evelyn Plakal remained inside, though ultimately also fatally injured—highlights the difference that restraint systems can make. While no seatbelt could have guaranteed survival in a crash of this severity, ejection from a vehicle dramatically increases the likelihood of death.

Conclusion: Two Stars That Burnt Out Too Soon

As the sun sets over the Confederate Power Works chimney and the guardrail along Riverwatch Parkway is slowly repaired, the families of Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal are left with something far more permanent than a damaged roadside: an absence. A silence where laughter used to be. A future that will now go unwritten.

They were 23 and 22 years old. They were from Buena Vista and Elgin. They were someone’s children, someone’s friends, someone’s reason to smile. And while the investigation into the crash that killed them will continue for weeks, the question that lingers most is not about speed or curves or guardrails. It is about why two young hearts, full of promise, had to stop beating on an ordinary Monday evening in Augusta.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the cause of the crash and urges anyone with additional information to come forward. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage from Riverwatch Parkway near Goodrich Street between 5:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the day of the crash is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division.

In the meantime, two communities mourn. Two families weep. And two names—Devon Briggs and Evelyn Plakal—will be remembered not for the tragedy that took them, but for the light they brought while they were here.