Suspected DUI Driver in Newnan Faces Vehicular Homicide Charges

Coweta County Courthouse

Newnan, Ga. – A serious as well as fatal accident in Newnan led to the arrest of a driver for vehicular homicide as well as DUI in Georgia.

According to Coweta County authorities, a driver was accused of reckless driving after speeding and colliding into a slower moving vehicle. This caused a vehicle fire and the driver of the slower vehicle was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

As a Georgia DUI Attorney, I will focus on the law behind the offense of vehicular homicide as it is written by Georgia Law as well as how it is related to driving under the influence.

Vehicular Homicide in Georgia

Georgia law O.C.G.A. §40-6-393 outlines the degrees of vehicular homicide in Georgia. A person will be charged with homicide by vehicle in the first degree when, without malice aforethought, a death is caused by the person either unlawfully passing a school bus, reckless driving, fleeing or attempting to elude a police office, or leaving the scene of the accident. Homicide by vehicle in the second degree occurs when death results due to a violation of any other statute other than the ones specified for homicide in the first degree. 

First degree vehicular homicide is regarded as felony-grade vehicular homicide charge occurs when a death is the result of DUI or reckless driving. Convictions of felony-grade vehicular homicide may warrant up to 15 years in prison. 

In addition to penalties decided by a judge, the offender could also face a civil suit brought on by the victim's family. In a civil suit, the judge could award damages such as pain and suffering or loss of company to the victim's family. 

Furthermore, homicide by vehicle convictions can have long-term consequences. A felony conviction can make finding employment difficult as well as precluding the victim from practicing in certain professions such as teaching, the medical field, and other areas. The conviction will appear during background checks and can also affect obtaining housing or credit.

Practice Note

Call our offices today if you are facing a serious traffic arrest in the state of Georgia.