Atlanta Police Officer Indicted on Charges of Reckless Driving and Serious Injury by Vehicle

Officer Phillips, an Atlanta police officer, was indicted on charges that occurred last February after she was accused of reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic control device and serious injury by vehicle in Georgia.

According to reports, Officer Phillips allegedly failed to yield at an intersection which resulted in a serious crash with another vehicle. Both vehicles were totaled, and the driver of the other car ended up with a severed left arm.

As of right now, Phillips is still on duty with the APD.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline what driving behaviors constitute reckless driving in today's post.

Reckless Driving in Georgia

Reckless Driving in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law as:

(a) Any person who drives any vehicle in reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property commits the offense of reckless driving. (b) Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or imprisonment not to exceed 12 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, provided that no provision of this Code section shall be construed so as to deprive the court imposing the sentence of the power given by law to stay or suspend the execution of such sentence or to place the defendant on probation. O.C.G.A. §40-6-390.

In addition to the misdemeanor penalties, a conviction of reckless driving also results in 4 points added to an individual's driving record.

Reckless driving can include the following behaviors:

• Driving at high speeds
• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Tailgating
• Illegal passing

This list can include any other dangerous and risky driving practices.

Practice Note

The charges faced by Officer Phillips are very serious. Most Georgians do not understand the very serious consequences that can result from traffic violations.

If you or a loved one has been arrested or cited for a traffic violation such as DUI in Georgia, contact us today. A Georgia DUI Attorney can walk you through all of your options.