The teenage driver of a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was arrested and charged with second-degree vehicular homicide on Oct 27. The 18-year-old young man reported to an adult jail in Cherokee County that morning after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Earlier in the month, authorities with the county’s police department wrapped up an investigation into a fatal June 19 crash. They determined that the teen had been driving recklessly, speeding and consumed drugs immediately prior to the early afternoon crash. The young man’s 16-year-old passenger was killed in the incident.
Prosecutors decided to press charges against the man based on what they’d uncovered during the course of their months-long investigation.
Just before 1:52 p.m. on the day of the incident, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the Hightower Road crash scene.
In speaking with witnesses at the scene, the deputies determined that the 18-year-old had been driving westbound along that roadway immediately before he lost control of his truck. It’s then that the investigation shows that the man’s truck first rolled into a ditch before it ending up striking a nearby tree.
An investigation into the crash showed that both the driver and his passenger were wearing seat belts when the crash occurred. Although the driver was transported to an area hospital with only minor injuries, his passenger reportedly had expired by the time police arrived on the scene.
In reconstructing the crash scene, investigators were able to determine that the driver had been traveling at least 18 miles over the 55 mph speed limit at the time he crashed into the tree. Toxicology results showed that the driver had consumed marijuana some time before the crash. Officers reported that he had consumed enough of the drug that it had greatly impaired his judgment.
The teen was booked and released from jail on a $14,227 bond all on Oct. 27. It’s unclear when the next hearing is in his case or what sentence he may face if convicted of vehicular homicide he’s been accused of.
If you’ve lost a loved one in a vehicle collision and you’re looking to recover funeral costs and other expenses, then a Moutrie, Georgia, car accident attorney can advise you of your rights to do so.
Source: Canton Patch, “Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Canton Teen,” Kristal Dixon, Oct. 30, 2017