Tennessee man facing charges in deadly Cobb County crash
Hicks Road near Fisher Drive in Austell on July 16, 2024. (Credit: Cobb County Police Department)
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Tennessee man is facing multiple charges for a deadly crash in Cobb County in July.
Officials say the charges stem from a crash on the afternoon of July 16 at the intersection of Hicks Road and Fisher Drive.
According to investigators, 38-year-old Brandon P. Earl of Antioch, Tennessee, was driving his GMC Sierra southbound when he reached for his cell phone, leading to his car crossing the center line.
The Sierra hit the left side of a GMC Yukon XL, causing it to flip over and stop on the shoulder of the road.
The Sierra then continued out of control after the crash, hitting a Ford Escape driven by Debbie Bates and pushing it into the guardrail. Bates died from her injuries at the scene.
A third vehicle, a Hyundai Sonata, was also hit by the Sierra, police say.
After an investigation, officials say they learned that Earl had been driving on a suspended license.
Earl is now facing charges of second-degree homicide by vehicle, failure to maintain lane, driver to exercise due care, and driving while license suspended/revoked.
Earl is not in custody at this time.