Teenage Driver Charged with Reckless Driving and Vehicular Homicide in Mableton

Cobb County Courthouse

Mableton, Ga. – An 18-year-old driver has been accused of driving 83 MPH which led to a fatal accident on Saturday afternoon.

According to investigators, he was traveling at that rate of speed on Mableton Parkway (where the posted speed limit is 45 MPH) around 5:00 pm when he hit another vehicle that was attempting to turn onto the highway. The driver of the vehicle ended up dying at the scene of the crash. The passenger of the vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital for serious injuries but ended up surviving.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I handle cases involving serious traffic violations quite frequently. The driver in this case was charged with reckless driving and first-degree vehicular homicide in Georgia. He has been booked into the Cobb County Jail.

In today's post, I will outline the law behind the offense of reckless driving which led to the fatal accident and the other charges.

Reckless Driving in Georgia

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

DUI in Georgia often accompanies charges for reckless driving or in fatal accidents – vehicular homicide. If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI or any other serious traffic violations, call our offices today.