Passenger Van Crash in Suwanee Results in 6 Fatalities

Gwinnett County Courthouse

Suwanee, Ga. – A horrible crash has made headlines this past weekend when a passenger van crashed and six people died as a result. Police have now charged the driver of the van with six counts of first-degree vehicular homicide after holding her responsible.

According to officers, the woman was driving the van recklessly and at high speeds when she attempted to switch lanes. This caused the van to overturn. There were nine people total in the vehicle. Three people including the driver were seriously injured while six of the passengers ended up dying in the crash.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I handle cases involving these charges often. I will provide an in-depth look at the charge of reckless driving.

Reckless Driving

Georgia Law defines reckless driving in O.C.G.A. §40-6-390 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.

Therefore, if a driver is found guilty of reckless driving, he or she could face up to a year in jail as well as fines up to $1,000.

Practice Note

Reckless driving is a serious offense. It is also a predicate offense to vehicular homicide as is DUI in Georgia. If you have been arrested for driving under the influence, call our offices now.