Ronika Lashawn Carswell told police her boyfriend fell off the hood of her car as she turned onto I-20 in April 2020. Carswell kept going, though she did call 911.
But she didn’t mention that she was speeding with Edward Jones clinging to the hood, or that she jerked her car and caused him to fall off. Witnesses, however, saw Carswell’s erratic driving and told authorities it led to Jones’ death, according to the Douglas County district attorney.
On Friday, a jury convicted Carswell, 48, of felony murder and aggravated battery, the DA said. Sentencing will be at a later date.
“This was a tragic situation and the senseless loss of a life,” DA Dalia Racine said in a statement. “There were many opportunities to de-escalate this event, and instead the defendant chose the option that took a life. We appreciate the hard work of law enforcement in this investigation. We applaud the jury for seeing this incident and not allowing this type of behavior to be accepted in our community.”
Investigators determined Carswell and Jones had been arguing at a QuikTrip gas station on Chapel Hill Road when Jones jumped on the hood to avoid being stranded. Carswell then sped onto the ramp to I-20 and abruptly turned right, causing Jones to fall, according to investigators.
Then, Carswell continued on I-20 East toward Atlanta. When she called 911 to report that Jones had fallen off her car, she was told to go back to the scene.
Carswell faces a maximum punishment of life in prison, the DA said.
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