Report: Student drunk at time of crash

A 16-year-old Cobb County high school student had been drinking rum for several hours and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.133 when he crashed his car and was killed Jan. 24, according to toxicology reports.

Georgia’s legal intoxication level is 0.08.

Garrett Reed was killed instantly when he swerved across the center line of Midway Road in west Cobb County and crashed into an oncoming car. Reed was a Powder Springs resident and football player at Harrison High School.

Richard Reyes of Dallas, the driver of the other car, suffered serious leg injuries.

The accident occurred shortly after midnight after several hours of drinking by Reed, according to the police investigation. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution obtained a copy of the investigative report through the Georgia Open Records Act.

The evening before his death, Reed attended a fish fry at his school, according to Cobb police. After leaving with friends between 7:30 and 8 p.m., Reed obtained nearly a half-gallon bottle of spiced rum.

Kecia Evangela Whitfield, 44, of Powder Springs was arrested a week later for providing rum to four teenagers. She is free on $10,000 bond while awaiting trial.

Reed drank the rum with soda at various homes and in the parking lot of a Dallas entertainment center. After then attending a party nearby, Reed headed to a friend’s house. He left the friend’s place shortly after midnight.

Before the accident, Reed apparently told another friend he was drunk, but OK to drive. He was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and was the sole occupant of the vehicle, according to the report.

Later, three teens were arrested for lying to police investigating the accident. Thursday, Matthew Graeff, 18, of Kennesaw pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice under Georgia’s first-offender law.

In 2007, Joshua’s Law changed requirements for 16-year-old Georgia drivers. They cannot drive between midnight and 6 a.m., among other restrictions, and they must take driver education training to get a license at 16.