Columbus man charged with DUI in wreck that killed teacher week before wedding

One of three drivers involved in the Oct. 16 wreck on Interstate 185 that killed a 24-year-old LaGrange, Ga., teacher a week before her wedding had a blood alcohol content level of .126 following the incident, according to testimony Thursday in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Deondre Hubbard of Columbus, who police identified as the 20-year-old driver of the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, was arrested Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty to one count each of DUI, driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle, driving with a suspended license, no proof of insurance and no state tag.

Hubbard was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail under bonds totaling $32,200. Judge Michael Joyner bound the case over to Superior Court.

Columbus Police Cpl. Garrett Williams said authorities were called around 1:22 a.m. Oct. 16 to the scene of the three-vehicle crash on I-185 North that killed Meghann Smith as she was heading to her bachelorette party.

An investigation indicated that she was traveling in a 2014 Kia Soul as it was headed north on I-185 between JR Allen and Airport Thruway, while a West Point, Ga., man in an 2002 Nissan Maxima was traveling south in the inside lane. The Maxima had an unidentified mechanical failure before leaving the roadway and crossing the center median, where it flipped and landed upside down in the northbound travel lanes and struck the Kia on the left side.

The crash left the Kia disabled, Williams testified.

Authorities said Hubbard was driving north on I-185 while the Kia was still disabled in the roadway between the far right lane and the center lane. The Chevrolet struck the Kia head-on, causing the Chevrolet to ignite into flames, according to police.

Smith was pronounced dead of scene from blunt-force trauma at 2:13 a.m. Oct. 16. She was a 24-year-old teacher at Ethel W. Kight Elementary School and was set to get married on Oct. 22.

She was buried a day before her wedding.

The three other occupants in the Kia and the three passengers in the Maxima were transported to the hospital for treatment. They were all released the next day, except for a passenger in the Kia who was transported to an Atlanta hospital and released after about two weeks, according to officials.

A West Point woman who was struck by debris as she stood near the Cruze during the second crash was transported to Midtown Medical Center with severe injuries to her face, neck, jaw and elbows. She was later airlifted to an Atlanta hospital for further treatment. Her current condition is unknown.

Officer Charles Daugherty said Hubbard had blood-shot eyes and reeked of alcohol when authorities approached him on the scene immediately following the wreck. Officials said his license was suspended and he did not provide proof of insurance for the Chevrolet.

Daugherty said the defendant initially refused to speak with him but later agreed to answer questions. Hubbard, who was leaving Eagles Trace Apartments on Torch Hill Road at the time of the crash, admitted that he had been drinking, according to police.

Daugherty said Hubbard started crying hysterically during the field sobriety test, and then tried to open the rear door of the police vehicle. He completed the test before consenting to a preliminary breath test in which he tested positive for the presence of alcohol, according to police.

Hubbard was transported to the hospital, where his blood was drawn for testing. Results showed that his BAC level was .126, Daugherty said. Georgia law states that an adult is legally drunk with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08.

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Columbus man charged with DUI in wreck that killed teacher week before wedding."