COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting a woman during a road rage incident in 2021. The victim spoke her piece to the suspect before he was led away in handcuffs.
The incident happened at around 5:30 a.m. on April 20, 2021. Evidence provided in court showed the victim was leaving her job at Hello Fresh after an overnight shift, and had just gotten onto I-85.
That's when court officials said 24-year-old Deanthony Clark pulled up alongside her, pulled out a gun and shot her multiple times. She was hit in the chest and waist, paralyzing her instantly.
The victim called 911, stating she couldn't stop her car because she couldn't feel or use her legs. She was able to pull over to the side of the road where Coweta County deputies found her.
The investigation revealed that Clark also worked at Hello Fresh. Officials said he shot her because he thought the victim cut him off as he was leaving work. The victim claimed she didn't know Clark prior to the incident.
Her injuries required a double leg amputation. In court, she said she was happy to have survived and wanted Clark to know he couldn't break her. She said she's been regaining her strength in hopes of being able to walk again day. She told him the shooting had only made her stronger.
"Clark paralyzed this victim for what he perceived was a traffic violation," Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney John Herbert said. "As a consequence, it is appropriate that he spends the next 25 years in prison."
Following Clark's Prison sentence, he will spend 15 years on probation.