The man accused of causing a wreck that killed one child and seriously injured a second was under the influence of drugs at the time of the 7 a.m. crash, the Georgia State Patrol said Monday.
Robert Nelson Wood, 42, of Tallapoosa, also did not have his girlfriend’s children properly restrained when he ran his 2009 Pontiac G6 off the road and hit a culvert, the GSP said.
Wood was charged Monday night with first degree vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence, DUI child endangerment, serious injury by vehicle, driving on a suspended license, failure to maintain lane and two child restraint violations for the Sunday morning wreck.
Wood allegedly ran from the wreckage, leaving the two injured children behind. Wood, the subject of a 12-hour manhunt, was taken into custody Sunday night in the Tallapoosa Highway-Sewell Creek Road area of Polk County south of Cedartown. He was then transported to the hospital for treatment.
Following the crash, Trent Brooks, 6, and Gabriel Brooks, 5, both from Tallapoosa, were taken to Floyd Medical Center and later flown to Chattanooga, a GSP statement said. Trent died at the hospital and Gabriel remained hospitalized Monday with serious injuries.
"She's doing fairly well," family member Connie Brooks told the Rome News-Tribune. "She's alert and knows who everyone is, but she's not talking to us."
By Monday afternoon, Wood had been booked into the Polk County jail, Sheriff Johnny Moats said. After Wood was charged, the list of charges was released. At the time of the crash, Wood had a suspended driver’s license and was on probation, Polk County Police Cpl. Michael Lynch said Sunday.
“It’s a tragic situation,” Lynch said.
Wood is a four-time convicted felon in Georgia and most recently was released from prison on Sept. 11, 2012, for theft by receiving stolen property, according to the state Department of Corrections.
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