A former Atlanta police officer has been indicted on charges of vehicular homicide by a Fulton County grand jury in connection with a 2012 wreck that killed a 59-year-old woman.
Joshua Sieck, 33, was headed to a non-emergency call when his cruiser hit Jacqueline Culp's vehicle on July 21, 2012 at the intersection of Cascade and Fairburn Roads in southwest Atlanta. Sieck and Culp both had to be extricated from their vehicles after the crash. Culp died from her injuries two days after the wreck.
The indictment, which was handed down Tuesday afternoon, charges Sieck with homicide by vehicle in the first and second degree, reckless driving and speeding. A fairly new graduate of the police academy at the time of the wreck, Sieck was fired after a few weeks on the job and days after Culp died.
According to a news release from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Sieck was traveling 20 miles above the posted speed limit and failed to use “due regard” as he sped through the intersection. Sieck “never attempted to apply his brakes or ensure the roadway was clear before proceeding through the red light,” the DA’s office said.
According to reports, Sieck's APD cruiser was traveling west on Cascade Road when it collided with a Culp's BMW, which was traveling south on Fairburn Road. After the impact, the BMW sideswiped a Chevrolet Impala that was sitting at the red light on Cascade Road facing eastbound. The driver of the Impala, Kenyatta White, and Culp's family are both suing the city.
Sieck’s case has not yet been assigned to a judge or scheduled for trial.
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