An off-duty sheriff's deputy was killed and his wife seriously injured when their motorcycle was struck by a suspected drunk driver Saturday night.
Richard Darren Hester, 46, of Monroe, was driving southbound on Ga. Highway 11 in Hall County shortly after 6 p.m. when his motorcycle was a hit by Chevrolet 3500 truck, according to Sgt. Paul Cosper with the Georgia State Patrol.
Hester, a Walton County deputy, died at the scene and his wife, Jamie Hester, was flown to Atlanta Medical Center with serious injuries, Cosper said. Both were ejected from the motorcycle, he said.
The driver of the truck, Robert Champine, 59, of Gainesville, was not injured in the crash. Champine faces numerous charges, including vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, felony marijuana possession and failure to yield, Cosper said.
Champine was arrested and booked into the Hall County jail.
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