Cobb DUI Crash Kills Atlanta Passenger

Cobb County police said a two-vehicle crash on Sandtown Road on Tuesday night left a 41-year-old Atlanta woman dead and led to DUI and homicide charges against a 22-year-old Marietta man. Investigators said Carlos A. Garcia was driving a 2007 Ford F-150 northbound south of Booth Road at about 9:20 p.m. on August 4 when he crossed into the southbound lanes. Police said the pickup struck a 2009 Honda Odyssey driven by a 37-year-old Atlanta man who tried to steer away but could not avoid the collision. Keena Pierre, a passenger in the minivan, was pronounced dead at the scene, and another passenger, Katie Stephens, 82, of Marietta, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. ### Who was killed and who survived the crash? Keena Pierre, 41, of Atlanta, died at the scene, according to Cobb County police and the Cobb County Medical Examiner. Police said Pierre was riding in the Honda Odyssey driven by Kerby Pierre, 37, of Atlanta. Katie Stephens, 82, of Marietta, was the other passenger in the minivan and was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, police said. (fox5atlanta.com) Kerby Pierre was not injured, and Garcia also was not injured in the collision, according to police. ### What do police say happened on Sandtown Road? The crash happened on Sandtown Road south of Booth Road in Cobb County at about 9:20 p.m. (fox5atlanta.com) Tuesday, investigators said. Police said Garcia was driving north when he failed to maintain his lane and entered the southbound lane. The Honda Odyssey was traveling south when the pickup crossed the center line, according to police. (fox5atlanta.com) Investigators said the minivan driver tried to avoid the crash by steering left, but the vehicles collided head-on and rotated before coming to rest in the roadway. ### What charges does Carlos Garcia face? Carlos Garcia, 22, of Marietta, was arrested after the crash and booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where police said he was being held without bond. The charges listed by police are driving under the influence, driving without a valid license, failure to maintain lane, failure to wear a seat belt and first-degree felony vehicular homicide. (11alive.com) FOX 5 Atlanta, citing a Cobb County Police Department press release, reported that Garcia was taken into custody after the collision. The station said police had not disclosed whether the alleged impairment involved alcohol, drugs or both, and had not released any blood-alcohol test result. ### What remains unclear in the investigation? (fox5atlanta.com) Cobb County police have not publicly said what caused Garcia's pickup to cross into the southbound lane beyond the lane violation described in the charging documents summarized by local media. Police also have not said whether speed was a factor in the crash. The STEP Unit of the Cobb County Police Department is handling the investigation, according to 11Alive. (fox5atlanta.com) That unit investigates serious and fatal traffic cases in the county. ### Where can witnesses send information? The Cobb County Police Department's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Unit asked anyone with information about the crash to call 770-499-3987. (fox5atlanta.com) Police said the case remains under investigation as of August 5. (11alive.com) August 5 was the date local outlets published the arrest and charging details from the police release. Any next court appearance for Garcia would be reflected through Cobb County court and jail records after the filing and booking process is updated. (fox5atlanta.com) (11alive.com)