A Douglas County grand jury has indicted a driver accused of driving drunk in an October crash that killed his passenger.

Laura Christen Reese, 39, died as a result of the Oct. 6, 2018, crash on I-20. The indictment was handed down Friday against Thomas Edward Pastore, 46, on three counts of homicide by vehicle in the first degree in connection with her death.

Prosecutors did not disclose their relationship. According to her online obituary, Reese was the owner and operator of Artistry of Hair by Christen, a salon in Cleveland, Ga.

Pastore is accused of speeding and failing to keep his lane of travel on I-20 West the night of the crash, according to the indictment.

He was arrested Dec. 3 and later released from the county jail on $100,000 bond, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

The three counts are related to his alleged intoxication level, driving under the influence to the extent it was not safe to drive, and reckless driving.

The case is pending in Douglas County Superior court, prosecutors said.

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Travelers walk around the baggage claim in the South Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Atlanta is among the airports where the FAA will reduce flights due to the shutdown, and airports are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. 
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