Georgia Teen Killed in Police Chase

A report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 25,580 people died and many more were injured in 2012 auto accidents from January through September. Being prepared before an accident can enable a victim to obtain all the necessary information that will be helpful to their case.

Consulting a Fayette County attorney after an auto accident enhances a victim's ability to receive a reasonable settlement. If you have been injured in an automobile accident you should discuss your case with an accident attorney at Shane Smith Law.

A Georgia teen was killed when the vehicle in which she was a passenger was in an accident following a police chase. The passenger was 19 years old and was killed when the 21-year-old driver of the car lost control after leading police on a high-speed chase. The driver attempted to evade a Georgia State Patrol trooper who continued pursuit on I-85. The driver lost control, first striking the patrol car before rolling and hitting a tree.

Georgia law prohibits drivers from fleeing or eluding police officers. Under Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) section 40-6-395, it is "unlawful for any driver of a vehicle willfully to fail or refuse to bring his or her vehicle to a stop or otherwise to flee or attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle or police officer when given a visual or an audible signal to bring the vehicle to a stop. The signal given by the police officer may be by hand, voice, emergency light, or siren. The officer giving such signal shall be in uniform prominently displaying his or her badge of office, and his or her vehicle shall be appropriately marked showing it to be an official police vehicle." A violation of this provision can lead to fines and possibly prison.

The driver will likely be charged with more serious offenses since his attempt to flee was the proximate cause of the passenger's death. He may be charged with homicide by vehicle (O.C.G.A. section 40-6-393) which holds that a driver who causes a fatal injury can be charged with a homicide.

If you or someone you know has been hurt in an auto accident, meet with a Fayette County auto accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law.