Cobb County, GA – Jury Finds Man Guilty in DUI Crash That Killed a Smyrna Police Officer

Cobb County, Georgia (May 25, 2023) – A Cobb County jury has found a driver responsible for the death of a Smyrna police officer in a car accident that happened in 2020.

The Smyrna officer was working traffic enforcement on South Cobb Drive near the Interstate 285 interchange on the night of April 20, 2020. Dispatch lost contact with the officer late that night, and 911 operators began receiving calls about an officer-involved accident.

When officers arrived on the scene,  it appeared that the patrol vehicle had caved in, and there was an SUV with significant front-end damage. 

That night, it was reported that the Smyrna officer had noticed a car speeding and pulled out onto South Cobb Drive to initiate a traffic stop. Before he could, a Chevrolet Tahoe turned in front of his vehicle, causing an accident to occur. 

Internal injuries were sustained by the police officer, and he died soon after being removed from his vehicle.

The officer had been with the department for two years, working in the Uniform Patrol Division at night. He had served in the reserves and was a veteran of the United States Air Force. He had recently received a lifesaving award and had applied to join the department’s DUI task force.

According to court documents, Georgia State Patrol troopers spoke with the Tahoe’s 38-year-old driver and detected “the odor of alcohol.” GBI investigators determined that Cox was under the influence of alcohol when the crash occurred after obtaining a search warrant for his blood.

After two days of deliberations, a jury found Cox guilty of one count of vehicular homicide by vehicle 1st degree, one count of failure to yield, one count of open container, and one count of tampering with evidence. 

Cox was released on bond prior to the trial and is now being held at the Cobb County Jail.

He will be sentenced for the charges in June.

Dui Accidents in Georgia

Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a serious offense in Georiga that carries a number of penalties.

For example, first-time offenders could face a sentence ranging from 24 hours to a year in prison. Fines are imposed ranging from $300 to $1,000. Furthermore, your license may be suspended for up to a year. After a DUI conviction, the penalties get worse.

Drivers can undoubtedly be stopped, charged with DUI, and convicted without causing any harm. Driving while intoxicated impairs your ability to drive; your judgment is skewed, your vision deteriorates, your reaction time slows, and you frequently act carelessly.

Drunk driving accidents can occur as a result of such carelessness. When this happens, the driver may be held legally liable for any injuries or damages he or she causes.

Every driver is responsible for driving safely. Any drunk driver who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle has violated this responsibility and duty.

If you were in an accident caused by a drunk driver, don’t hesitate to contact our expert Personal Injury Attorneys for legal assistance.

The Mabra Firm has a team of Car Accident Attorneys with extensive experience representing victims of drunk driving accidents.

We work hard to ensure that you receive the most compensation possible for all of your losses.

If you were hit by a drunk driver, call us at 404-344-5255 to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

Note: This post was created with the help of outside sources, such as news articles and first-hand accounts. Because the details of this accident have not been independently verified, please notify us immediately if you discover any false information. We will update the post to reflect the correct information.

Disclaimer: At The Mabra Law Firm, we are always looking for ways to improve the quality and safety of our state, and we have been saddened by the outcomes of numerous accidents. We hope that by informing those in our community about these accidents, they will work to prevent other serious accidents in the future. These posts are not intended to be solicitations for business. The information contained within should never be interpreted as medical or legal advice. We wish everyone involved in these accidents a fast recovery.