PERRY -- A Macon man has been indicted by a Houston County grand jury on vehicular homicide and related charges in the May deaths of a mother and her infant killed after a train struck the car the man was driving.

Willie Frank Lyons Jr., 46, was indicted Tuesday on four counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of marijuana, running a stop sign, reckless driving and violation of child safety restraint requirement.

On May 27, Donnell Reid, 31, and her 1-month-old daughter, Kinsley, of Macon, died after a train accident at Ignico Drive in Warner Robins.

Lyons, the child’s father, suffered blunt force trauma from the impact of the train and was taken to The Medical Center of Central Georgia for surgery. He is accused in the indictment of disregarding a stop sign, ignoring visual warning lights and attempting to cross the railroad tracks in front of an oncoming train

The death of Reid and her daughter came on the heels of a string of accidents in recent years and prompted a community push to get a gate installed at the Ignico Drive railroad crossing ahead of schedule.

Work on the gate began July 17. At the time, a Norfolk Southern spokeswoman said the work was significantly expedited over normal procedure and was expected to be completed by late August. The work was completed on Aug. 1.

Other indictments

Charles Edward Bethel, 19, of Hawkinsville, was indicted on charges of robbery, possession of a .22 caliber pistol during a crime, carrying a concealed weapon and theft by deception in a July 17 incident at Choi’s Oriental Market and Korean Restaurant at the corner of Watson Boulevard and Davis Drive.

Alfred Thomas Howell, 26, of Macon, was indicted on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon on the Warner Robins campus of Macon State College on July 7.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559.