Fatal Crash in Georgia Leads to Death of One Boy and Serious Injury of Another

According to reports, a driver lost control of their car and crashed into the garage of a home in Covington. The crash resulted in the death of one 12-year-old boy and the serious injury of another child. The two boys were best friends.

The other child was flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Reports detail that both of his legs were crushed and that he suffered vascular damage to his femoral artery. He's had many surgeries already and has had 41 units of blood transfusions so far.

The car crashed into the garage for an unknown reason.

So far Newton County has not released any reports as to what charges the driver is facing, but they should be expecting some serious consequences.

Most DUI cases are treated as misdemeanor offenses in Georgia.  However, there are exceptions. These exceptions include when DUI results in the serious injury or death of another individual. Both serious injury by vehicle and vehicular homicide in Georgia are laws concerning death and injury resulting from DUI or reckless driving in Georgia.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the offense of serious injury by vehicle in today's post.

Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia

According to O.C.G.A. §40-6-394,  Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia is defined by law as:

…causing bodily harm to another by depriving him of a member of his body, by rendering a member of his body useless, by seriously disfiguring his body or a member thereof, or by causing organic brain damage which renders the body or any member thereof useless through Reckless Driving or DUI.

Law does not exactly define what is considered a “serious injury.”  Serious injuries have included: a fractured bone, severe burns, disfigurement, dismemberment, partial or total loss of sight or hearing, or loss of consciousness. To be considered as serious, the injury does not need to be permanent – a serious, temporary injury is sufficient and only needs to impair or injure the appearance of a person. 

Practice Note

If someone is serious injured due to an alleged DUI driver, the driver will be charged with a felony that result in up to 15 years in prison.  Even the injured party is a passenger in your vehicle, you can be charged with a felony that can result in 15 years in jail. 

These charges are extremely serious. If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact a Georgia DUI Attorney today.