Three days after his release from the Spalding County jail, charges against former NBA and Atlanta Hawks star Mookie Blaylock were upgraded in a fatal crash in Clayton County.
Blaylock, 47, has been charged with vehicular homicide in the first degree, a felony, for the May 2013 crash that killed a mother of five, the Clayton County Solicitor said Monday. Solicitor General Tasha Mosley said new evidence, provided from a Sandy Springs police officer regarding an unrelated incident, provided the information needed to upgrade the case.
On May 31, 2013, Blaylock allegedly crossed the middle line and struck another vehicle head on, leaving a passenger in a van critically injured, according to investigators. Monica Murphy, 40, died hours later after undergoing surgery at Atlanta Medical Center.
Blaylock was seriously injured in the wreck and temporarily on life support, but was released from the hospital days later. Police previously said that at the time of the wreck, a family member said Blaylock has been under treatment for seizures, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
"He had a blackout and what caused it, we're trying to get to the bottom of that," Blaylock's attorney, Don Samuel, previously told The AJC.
There has been no evidence that Blaylock was under the influence at the time of the wreck. But a Clayton County judge said Blaylock's extensive history of DUI arrests couldn't be overlooked when she ordered bond set at $250,000.
Last year's fatal crash came just weeks after Blaylock was arrested in Spalding County. Earlier this month, Blaylock pleaded guilty to DUI and hit-and-run charges stemming from the March 2013 incident and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
After being credited for previously serving 14 days, Blaylock was released on March 21, a jail spokeswoman said Monday night. Following his release from jail, Blaylock was ordered to report to an inpatient rehabilitation center, Samuel previously said.
Blaylock's attorney was unavailable for comment late Monday.
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