A Woodstock woman was intoxicated and on a combination of drugs last November when she barreled through a red light and slammed into a car, killing a 25-year-old driver and injuring several others.
Amelia Brooke Stringer’s license had been suspended three months earlier following a DUI arrest in Fulton County, Cherokee County prosecutors said. Now, the 32-year-old has been sentenced to a decade in prison.
Stringer recently pleaded guilty to 10 charges in the deadly crash, including four counts of homicide by vehicle, DUI, reckless driving and drug possession, prosecutors announced Wednesday. She was sentenced to 19 years, with 10 to serve behind bars and the remainder on probation, according to the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.
The deadly Woodstock wreck happened November 22, 2020, near the intersection of Ga. 92 and Main Street. Prosecutors said Stringer was under the influence of rum, Xanax and methadone when she got behind the wheel of a Ford SUV. She was driving north on Main Street when she ran a red light at the busy intersection and collided with a Honda Civic driven by Kaitlin “Katy” Jade Martin.
The impact of the collision caused a chain-reaction crash. Martin’s sedan was pushed into a Jeep SUV, which in turn collided with a GMC pickup truck, investigators said. Martin, a Chattanooga native who worked as an event coordinator and editor of a music website, was running errands near her home when she was killed.
Credit: Cherokee County District Attorney's Office
Credit: Cherokee County District Attorney's Office
While investigating the fatal wreck, Woodstock police noticed an “overwhelming odor” of alcohol coming from Stringer, prosecutors said. She admitted to drinking Malibu Rum and taking a combination of medications that included Risperdal, Xanax and methadone. Her blood alcohol level was .12, authorities said, above the legal limit of .08.
Stringer, who was also injured in the crash, was arrested three days later after being released from the hospital.
“This case should serve as a reminder that the scourge of drunk driving remains in our county, and anyone can be the victim of this crime,” Deputy Chief ADA David Holmes said. “Kaitlin Martin won’t get to see her 30th birthday because Amelia Stringer decided it was more important for her to drive, while drunk, on drugs, and when her license was suspended.”
Following her release from prison, Stringer must perform 240 hours of community service, pay restitution and take part in a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel, among other conditions.
“This defendant made a series of bad choices that caused a life to be tragically cut short and parents to mourn the death of their only child,” Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said in a statement. “This defendant chose to drink and take medications, drive with a suspended license, and run a red light on a busy highway, ultimately causing the death of an innocent young woman.”
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