Free Books

Alcohol to Blame for Multi Car Accident | Atlanta Accident Attorney

Date: February 9, 2010
Location: Albany, Georgia
Event: Vehicle Accident | Atlanta Accident Attorney
Title: Alcohol to Blame for Multi Car Accident

According to local police on the evening of February 9, 2010 Mary Mathis of Albany was traveling north on South Slappey Boulevard. Ms Mathis drifted in the turn lane where she hit a Neon and a Camry leaving two individuals in the Camry injured. They were subsequently transported to Phoebe Putney Hospital. Ms. Mathis was charged with driving under the influence and may be facing additional charges.

Murphy & Associates handles car accidents throughout the State of Georgia. If you have been involved in an auto accident and there are questions of liability and/or negligence, please contact our firm at (770) 577-3020. We offer of a free consultation with no obligation.

Vehicular Homicide: 30 Year Sentence | | Douglasville Accident Attorney

Date: February 22, 2010
Event: Fatal Car Accident | Douglasville Accident Attorney
Title: Vehicular Homicide: 30 Year Sentence

In August of 2008 Otuwa Otuwa was operating his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. He was traveling at a high rate of speed on Lee Road near Old lee Road in Lithia Springs when his car left the road and struck a tree. Unfortunately Otuwa age 24 was not alone in the vehicle. His sister, Gracie Otuwa and a friend of her’s Andre Robert Houston were passengers in that vehicle and were killed. On Friday, February 19, 2010 Douglas County Superior Court Judge, David Emerson reduced the nine charges to two charges of vehicular homicide and sentenced Otuwa to 15 years for each death. Both Gracie Otuwa and Johnson had just graduated from college the day before the incident. Family members and friends spoke on behalf of not only the victims but the accused Otuwa as well. They implored the judge to sentence Otuwa to a rehabilitation program.

Murphy and Associates offer their condolences the family and friends of those involved in this tragic accident.

Drunk driver responsible for crash that killed Mom and son

Date:  August 24, 2009
Location: Douglas County
Event:  Fatal Drunk Driving Accident | Georgia Accident Attorn

An accident claimed the lives of Ashley Ingalsbe and her four year old son early Monday morning. (August 24)  The accident occurred when Natasha Searcy crossed the centerline, on Skyview Drive in Douglas County, plowed into a Toyota head-on, investigators said.   Natasha Searcy, the driver responsible for causing the fatal accident was drunk according to police.

The Georgia State Patrol has reported that everybody was buckled up and car seats were also in use.  An infant in the Toyota was also seriously injured.  Searcy was taken to WellStar Cobb Hospital for minor injuries.

The road was closed for much of the early morning rush hour.   The Georgia State Patrol indicated that their specialized collision reconstruction team would be doing the reconstruction of the accident scene.

Natasha Searcy, twenty-two years old,  has been charged with vehicular homicide in the first and second degrees, driving under the influence,  failure to maintain lane and driving without insurance.  She was denied bond on Tuesday, August 25.  She is currently in the Douglas County Jail under suicide watch.

Murphy & Associates handles fatal car accidents and drunken driving accidents cases in Georgia and we express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ashley Ingalsbe.  If you have lost a loved one and have questions with regards to negligence and liability, please contact our firm at (770)577-1030.  We offer a free consultation with no obligation.

Drunk Driver Sent 3 to Atlanta Hospitals After Car Accident | Atlanta DUI Accident Attorney

Athens-Clarke area police have confirmed that Sunday night's car accident on U.S. Highway 78 that sent three people to Atlanta area hospitals was caused by a drunk driver, according to Roger Nielsen of the Athens Banner-Herald online.  According to the article, the drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into a Nissan Sentra on Hwy. 78 while traveling toward Athens in an SUV.  Three people in the Sentra, one of them only 6-years-old, were seriously injured in the crash, and others became involved when the collision damaged a third car.   All three injured passengers were sent via helicopter to Atlanta hospitals:  the driver, Rachel Stockwell, 40, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and was in serious condition as of Monday afternoon; 40-year-old Gregory Stockwell was in stable condition at Atlanta Medical Center; and 6-year-old Sara Stockwell was sent to Egleston Children's Hospital but was expected to be released Monday.  The driver who was under the influence of alcohol was also said to have caused other injuries by the car accident.  At Murphy & Associates, we hope for the full and fast recovery of all the injured. 

Drunk driving accident victims and their families often have many questions regarding their rights, what to do after their accidents, and how to find the medical treatment they need.  For more information on how to receive medical care with little or no health insurance, feel free to call our office.  We will answer any questions you may have for free with compassion and professionalism.  770-577-3020.

GA State Patrol Receives Grant for Two DUI Programs

Our law firm handles DUI accident cases.  If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident caused by a drunk driver, please feel free to call us at Murphy & Associates with any questions you may have.  We will consult with you for free with professionalism and compassion.  770-577-3020.

Distracted Driving More Dangerous Than DUI?

Most of us agree that driving under the influence of alcohol is extremely dangerous. Perhaps many agree that engaging in other activities behind the wheel, no matter how "innocent" the activity, is also a recipe for disaster. But how many of us would consider driving while distracted MORE dangerous than driving drunk?

Based on a 2005 cause-of-accident study, the number of fatalities from traffic accidents involving drunk driving has decreased over the past twenty years while the number of fatalities from non-alcohol-related traffic accidents has increased within the same time frame. Based on this statistic, you are more likely to be injured in a car accident by a distracted driver than by a drunk driver.

It doesn’t take much reflection to associate the changes in culture and technology over the past twenty years with the changes in causes of car accidents. Listening to music, playing movies for child passengers, applying makeup, eating, talking and texting on cell phones, and even changing clothes and painting nails are all among activities research participants admitted to engaging in while driving. Despite recent research, these forms of driving have received far less attention in the media, awareness programs, and law enforcement than driving while intoxicated. Just as drivers who brave the wheel while intoxicated face serious consequences, so should those who engage in other forms of distracted driving, the number one killer of teens in the United States. As anti-drunk driving programs educate the public on the dangers of DUI, programs providing education on the dangers of DD (distracted driving) must answer the call for action as well.

If you or a loved one has experienced injury or loss as a result of another’s reckless driving, call Murphy & Associates at 770-577-3020 for a free consultation.

DUI Driver Found Guilty of Murder for Fatal I-75 Accident

A drunk driver was found guilty of murder Wednesday (July 30) at a trial for a car accident that occurred on I-75 last summer. In the accident, Raymond Joseph Garner of Andersonville, Kentucky, crashed into another vehicle while going 90 miles per hour and never applying the break. As a result, other cars were involved, and the crash killed an 8-year-old boy, a pregnant woman, and her unborn child. The jury listened as prosecutors discussed Garner’s high blood-alcohol content and the evidence of his having consumed beer, wine, and valium prior to driving the day of the accident. When brought to the stand, Garner admitted to drinking six beers before getting behind the wheel and sipping a cup of wine while driving just before the crash. He also apologized and stated that he never intended to hurt anyone. Despite his apology, the jury recommended a life sentence, and he was charged with two counts of murder, one count of assault, and one count of fetal homicide.

Our law firm handles wrongful death and fatal accident cases such as this. If you have lost a loved one in a car accident due to a drunk or reckless driver, call us at 770-577-3020 for a free consultation.

Atlanta Victim’s Family Supports “Operation Zero Tolerance” for DUI Offenders

June 27, 2008 - Eleven-year-old Briton Batchelor had celebrated the Fourth of July only three days earlier when he was killed by a drunk driver on Atlanta’s I-285 in 2001. At a recent news conference to kick off the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety’s new "Operation Zero Tolerance" in support of the upcoming DUI law, the family of the young victim recounted the details of their most horrifying day. Effective July 1, DUI penalties in the state of Georgia will be much harsher than they are currently, but the Batchelor family longs for even tougher punishment for offenders.

Briton’s sister, Allene, 22, was only 15 the day of the accident, but she remembers it clearly: the siblings were riding in the back seat of their family’s vehicle near the Riverdale Road exit of I-285 when a drunk driver hit them from behind, flipping the vehicle, shattering glass, and throwing young Briton onto the pavement. Hanging upside down from her seat belt, Allene saw her brother in the fetal position on the ground with a pool of blood below his body. Briton died soon after impact.

Though the drunk driver responsible for the young boy’s death was given a 14-year jail sentence, he only has to serve 10 of them, not even accounting for each year of Briton’s life. The Batchelor family undoubtedly supports the new DUI law, as it is a step towards toughening the penalties for drunk driving. For them, however, "zero tolerance" should mean exactly that, which requires many more steps to be taken.

Our law firm handles car accident cases such as this.  If you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of a car accident or drunk driving accident, call 770-577-3020 for a free consultation.