A 19-year-old Acworth man and his mother are both facing charges related to a crash that killed a motorcyclist in Cherokee County, authorities said Thursday.
Giovanni Aragon-Mercado is suspected of having fallen asleep at the wheel and crossing the center line in his Lincoln Navigator about 5 p.m. Wednesday, colliding with a motorcycle driven by Derrick Ferree, 24, of Marietta, Lt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said. Aragon-Mercado was charged Thursday with misdemeanor vehicular homicide, Baker said.
The driver's mother, Perla Mercado, was arrested Thursday afternoon and charged with allowing an unlicensed person to drive her car, according to Baker.
The crash happened on Bascomb Carmel Road near Bascomb Springs in Woodstock, Baker said. Ferree was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, Marietta, where he later died of his injuries.
Aragon-Mercado, who was not hurt, also was charged with failure to maintain lane and violation of license restrictions, Baker said, explaining that the man “had a learner’s permit only and was not licensed to drive alone.”
As a consequence, Aragon-Mercado’s 38-year-old mother is charged with allowing an unlicensed person to drive. “She allowed her son to drive her vehicle to his job Wednesday afternoon,” said Baker. Although Giovanni Aragon-Mercado is an adult, his mother is facing charges because police say she knew he didn't have a license and lent him her car anyway.
Mother and son were booked into the Cherokee Adult Detention Center. The son’s bond is set at $2,350, while his mother was assigned a $685 bond, Baker said.
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