A Roswell man was charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) after a single vehicle accident left one dead and three injured early Friday morning. Police say that the driver, who was also injured in the crash, will be jailed once he leaves the hospital as a result of the fatal car accident on a ramp heading southbound from I-575 to Chastain Road in Cobb, Georgia.
Police say that both alcohol and speed likely contributed to the accident. According to police reports, the car left the ramp, headed through the "gore" area into the embankment and the trees near the exit ramp. The passenger, a Lawrenceville man, who was fatally injured, died at the scene of the crash. Two other passengers, in addition to the driver, are currently hospitalized at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The driver is facing numerous traffic violations as a result of the crash. In addition to the DUI and first degree vehicular manslaughter charge, the driver of the Honda Accord faces "reckless driving, speeding, failure to maintain lane, driving through a gore, no tags and no seatbelt charges," according to the report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All of these charges are serious accusations levied against the driver.
A person who is convicted of vehicular manslaughter after a fatal car accident could spend a significant amount of time in prison, not to mention he or she could face serious penalties and fines. Georgia law enforcement officials take driving offenses seriously and seek to strongly penalize a suspected drunk driver to prevent future DUI-related accidents.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Driver Charged in Cobb Wreck That Killed One Man and Injured Three," Mike Morris and Kristi Swartz, 2/18/2011
