Homicide by vehicle in the first degree is one of the more serious charges that a driver in Georgia can face. In legal terms, first-degree vehicular manslaughter is committed when a driver causes the death of another person while violating Georgia’s DUI or reckless driving laws, fleeing from police, committing a hit and run, illegally passing a school bus, or habitually violating laws while using a revoked driver’s license. The penalty for a first-degree homicide conviction can be between three and fifteen years in prison for each death. If the driver is a habitual violator, they can face between five and twenty years in prison for each death.
Fox 5 Atlanta reports that a wrong-way driver has been charged in the death of a young mother in a DUI crash.
26-year-old Eddie Burgess was arrested on Wednesday, January 22nd by Dekalb County Police. He is facing multiple charges, including vehicular homicide in the first degree, driving on the wrong side of the road, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, and DUI.
The charges stem from a head-on collision that killed a 25-year-old mother of two.
The young mother was driving north on Flat Shoals Parkway near Shoals Parkway at around 5:30 A.M., almost a month before Burgess’ arrest. Burgess was driving in the southbound lanes and veered into oncoming traffic, hitting the victim.
The young mother left behind two children: a two-year-old and a five-year-old.
Have you been injured in an auto accident? We can help. Call us today.