Georgia Man Sentenced to 25 Years for DUI Related Accident

According to reports out of Forsyth County, a man pleaded guilty to charges of:

• Driving under the influence in Georgia
• Serious injury by vehicle in Georgia
• Homicide by vehicle in Georgia
• Reckless driving in Georgia

All of these charges resulted from an incident last year where the convicted man was the at-fault driver in a fatal head-on collision that happened on Canton Highway. The accident resulted in the death of a local 87-year-old man and the serious injury of his wife.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I handle cases with charges similar to the above. Regardless of the case, if a situation involves the death or the serious injury of another human being, the incident is horrific. My job is to decipher the truth and to determine whether or not a person is actually responsible in another's injury or fatality. No matter how horrific the situation - just because there was a death does not mean that someone is necessarily at fault.

In today's post, I will outline the offense of homicide by vehicle.

Homicide by Vehicle in Georgia

Homicide by vehicle in Georgia is split up into two different degrees. First degree vehicular homicide is defined as:

Any driver of a motor vehicle who, without malice aforethought, causes the death of another person when he or she leaves the scene of an accident, drives under the influence, drives recklessly, unlawfully passes a school bus, or flees or attempts to elude a police officer shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than 15 years.

Second degree vehicular homicide is defined as:

Any person who causes the death of another person, without an intention to do so, by violating any provision of this title other than those listed in the first degree vehicular homicide statute, commits the offense of homicide by vehicle in the second degree when such violation is the cause of said death and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided in Code Section 17-10-3.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a serious traffic violation, contact our offices today.