Charges have been upgraded for a man accused of driving nearly 100 miles per hour before crashing into a car, killing a teenager and injuring his parents in Cobb County.
Cobb County police have charged Percy Sledge Reynolds with homicide by vehicle in the first degree, speeding, reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from the Oct. 25 collision in Powder Springs.
Reynolds, 43, was initially charged with DUI following the crash. An arrest warrant obtained Dec. 4 adds homicide by vehicle, speeding and reckless driving to the list of charges. Homicide by vehicle in the first degree is a felony.
Cobb police were dispatched to the scene of the crash at 10:49 p.m. on Hiram Lithia Springs Road at Sweetsprings Drive.
A preliminary report released by police say a black 2016 Lexus ES330 was traveling northbound and making a left turn from Hiram Lithia Springs Road onto Sweetsprings Drive when a silver 2018 BMW 430I traveling southbound hit the back of the Lexus.
“The force of the collision tore most of the rear passenger compartment of the Lexus free from the rest of the vehicle,” Cobb police said.
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The backseat passenger, identified as 17-year-old Derren Aguirre of Powder Springs, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
The front-seat passenger, a 46-year-old woman, was transported with non-life-threatening injures to WellStar Kennestone Hospital. The driver, a 52-year-old man, received minor injures but was not taken to the hospital. Cobb police spokeswoman Sydney Melton said the victims in the Lexus were father, mother and son.
Reynolds, who was driving the BMW, was also taken to Kennestone with non-life-threatening injuries.
Credit: Cobb County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Cobb County Sheriff's Office
According to an arrest warrant, a blood sample collected from Reynolds determined his alcohol level to be .152 grams. The legal limit in Georgia is .08 grams.
The arrest warrant obtained by Cobb police also alleges Reynolds was driving 99 miles per hour in a 40 miles-per-hour zone on a wet road, “which resulted in a collision” with the left-turning Lexus. The BMW was traveling at 99 miles per hour for about five seconds before colliding with the Lexus, the warrant says.
Cobb County Detention Center records show Reynolds remains held at the jail with a $5,720 bond.
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