McDonough Man Indicted on Felony Traffic Charges

According to reports out of Cobb County, a McDonough man is facing serious charges such as:

• Vehicular Homicide in Georgia
• Failure to Maintain Lane in Georgia
• Reckless Driving in Georgia

Most people associate vehicular homicide with the offense of DUI in Georgia. However, there are many different offenses that can lead to vehicular homicide charges either in the first or second degree. One of the offenses that can lead to a first degree vehicular homicide charge is in fact reckless driving.

In today's post, I will outline the offense of reckless driving so as to give a better idea of what the law classifies as driving recklessly in the state of Georgia.

Reckless Driving in Georgia

Reckless Driving in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. § 40-6-390. The law states:

(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.

A reckless driving conviction will also add four points to your license. This has the potential of leading to a points suspension of your Georgia driver's license. A points suspension occurs if you have accumulated fifteen or more points in a consecutive 24-month period. However, if you are a driver under 21 years old, any offense that is four points or more will suspend your Georgia driver's license for a six-month period. 

Practice Note

The driver was accused of operating his motor vehicle at 98 MPH in a 65 MPH zone. This is what led to the reckless driving charges as authorities and the state of Georgia have accused him of driving with “reckless disregard to human life.”

If you or a loved one has been charged with serious traffic violations, contact our offices today. A Georgia DUI Attorney specializes in charges ranging from DUI to possession of marijuana in Georgia as well as everything in between. Call now.