Man charged with vehicular homicide in Double Churches Road wreck

A man was charged with vehicular homicide in the Aug. 6. wreck on Double Churches Road that left a 26-year-old woman dead, according to Columbus police.

Zachary Alexander Norris, 26, faces first-degree vehicular homicide in the two-vehicle wreck that killed Jessica Oberlin of Columbus. He was booked into the Muscogee County Jail, but he was released on bond before his preliminary hearing.

The case was bound over to Superior Court.

Officers were called to the intersection of Double Churches Road and Nature Trail around 7:50 p.m. Aug. 6 to investigate a crash.

Officials said Oberlin, who was traveling in a 2007 Toyota Prius, was driving away from the stop sign on Nature Trail and heading onto Double Churches Road.

Norris, who was driving a 2007 GMC Sierra 2500, was headed westbound on Double Churches Road in the left lane. A witness who was traveling in the left lane in front of the GMC said Norris passed her on the right side before heading back into the left lane.

In the initial police report, authorities said Oberlin ignored the stop sign before she entered Double Churches Road.

Columbus Police Maj. JD Hawk told the Ledger-Enquirer Monday morning that further investigation indicated that she stopped at the stop sign, but failed to yield the right of way. He also stated that Norris committed multiple traffic violations, including speeding.

He didn’t elaborate further.

The front bumper of the GMC collided with the left side of Oberlin’s vehicle, according to a police report.

“If nothing else had been involved with the other cars, she would have been at fault,” Hawk said. “But because of the other violations he had committed, he was shown at fault.”

Both drivers were treated at the scene. Oberlin was transported to the hospital, but Norris declined to be transported there via ambulance. She was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Man charged with vehicular homicide in Double Churches Road wreck."