Alabama Man Arrested for Stealing Vehicle From Atlanta Gas Station

Fulton County Sheriff

Atlanta, Ga. - According to authorities in two different counties, a local man from Alabama was detained and arrested after he allegedly led officers on a chase through the City of Atlanta into Clayton County in a stolen vehicle.

The chase with officers escalated up to over 130 mph on I-85. Officers ultimately stopped the vehicle by deploying road spikes.

The driver was then arrested on charges of speeding, fleeing, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, and several other minor traffic offenses.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I have to point out that many of these offenses are commonly associated with charges of DUI in Atlanta. In today's post, I will focus on the offense of reckless driving and list out some of the most common examples of the offense.

Reckless Driving

Georgia Law defines reckless driving in O.C.G.A. §40-6-390 as:

(a) Any person who drives any vehicle in reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property commits the offense of reckless driving.

(b) Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or imprisonment not to exceed 12 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, provided that no provision of this Code section shall be construed so as to deprive the court imposing the sentence of the power given by law to stay or suspend the execution of such sentence or to place the defendant on probation.

Therefore, if a driver is found guilty of reckless driving, he or she could face up to a year in jail as well as fines up to $1,000.

Practice Note

Reckless driving and driving under the influence are charges that are often seen together. If you have been arrested, contact our offices today.