‘Absurd recklessness’: Man who ‘flung himself’ from moving car going 80 mph and caused a fatal highway crash found guilty of manslaughter, DA says

A Georgia antheral who jumped retired of a moving conveyance successful the mediate of a highway, causing a fatal car crash, was recovered blameworthy of manslaughter.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office announced successful a press release that Kristopher Graf, 45, was convicted by a assemblage of involuntary manslaughter connected April 24. According to the DA, Graf was a rider successful a car being driven by his wife, Stacy Edwards, some of whom were intoxicated beyond the ineligible bounds portion they were traveling location from a enactment connected the nighttime of Jan. 14, 2022. The DA said that arsenic the car was going astir 80 mph connected a agelong of the westbound I-80, Graf “flung himself from the moving vehicle,” which acceptable successful question a multi-vehicle clang that killed 2 radical and earnestly injured respective others.

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According to the DA, aft Graf propelled himself onto the highway, helium landed successful the mediate of the roadworthy and sustained “numerous injuries.” While connected the road, the operator of a semitruck swerved to debar hitting him and, arsenic a result, struck a van carrying 5 people. The interaction caused 2 of the van’s passengers to beryllium “ejected” into the roadway.

The operator of the van was injured successful the interaction and ended up having his limb amputated.

One of the ejected passengers died of injuries astatine the scene. Another rider who sustained injuries but remained successful the van was besides pronounced dead. An further rider wrong the van was “severely injured.”

When authorities arrived astatine the country and spoke to Edwards, she reportedly told them that Graf had started drinking earlier the lawsuit they had some attended that evening. Police astatine the country suspected that Edwards was besides drunk and took her into custody connected suspected DUI charges. Edwards was confirmed to person a blood-alcohol contented of .137, good supra the .08 limit.

District Attorney Dalia Racine said successful a statement, “The absurd recklessness demonstrated by these defendants resulted successful a concatenation absorption that took and altered galore lives that day. While this verdict volition not bring backmost the lives mislaid oregon heal the beingness altering injuries caused, we anticipation that the jury’s uncovering volition assistance connected their travel to find bid and healing.”

Edwards antecedently pleaded blameworthy to DUI charges and was sentenced to 12 months of probation. She agreed to attest against her hubby arsenic portion of her plea deal.

Graf was taken to a infirmary earlier helium was arrested. He was charged with 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter and six counts of reckless conduct.

Following the verdict, the justice sentenced Graf to 20 years successful prison, followed by 4 years of probation.