A man from Acworth, Georgia was sentenced to 15 years total, including five years of prison time, after being found guilty of causing an accident while driving under the influence. Kenneth Lee Chitwood, the 49-year-old who was sentenced, plead guilty to two different charges related to the accident: homicide and driving under the influence.

According to reports provided by local law enforcement officers, Chitwood was involved in an accident on February 22, 2014. He was driving his Chevy Silverado pickup truck, and ran it into another pickup being owned by 50-year-old James Payton Underwood, who was standing just outside of his truck. He was knocked to the ground during the crash, and passed away a short time later due to his injuries. Chitwood’s blood-alcohol level was found to be 0.27 percent after a breathalyzer examination, placing him at three and a half times the legal limit.

There was never much doubt that Chitwood would be sent to jail for his responsibility in the accident, so pleading guilty likely helped him to avoid more serious penalties. At this time, there is no information as to whether the family of Underwood will file a wrongful death claim, which would be a separate legal process to the criminal proceedings against Chitwood. It could potentially result in the family receiving compensation for its.

In these situations, the civil lawsuit would be a much quicker process because Chitwood has already been convicted of driving under the influence, which would satisfy the need to prove negligence in the civil case.

If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone who was driving while intoxicated, or a loved one has died in one of these crashes, consult the compassionate Atlanta auto accident attorneys with McMenamy Law, LLC right away.