The woman convicted in the death two years ago of Cornelia motorcyclist Jerald Freeman will serve two years behind bars and eight years on probation. Ruby Marie Marshall was sentenced Thursday in Hall County Superior Court.
Judge Bonnie Oliver sentenced Marshall to 2 years in prison plus 8 years probation for first degree vehicular homicide; 12 months for reckless driving; 12 months for failure to maintain lane; and 2 years to serve plus 3 years probation for hit and run. The sentences run concurrently.
Two other counts of vehicular homicide against Marshall were merged with the count for which she was sentenced.
Fatal encounter so close to home
Freeman was killed on Oct. 7, 2014 as he drove home from a trip to Florida. He was less than two miles from his house when the fatal encounter occurred.
The 47-year-old father was traveling on Pea Ridge Road near Laurel Drive in Hall County when Marshall’s car, traveling in the opposite direction, crossed over the center line and forced him off the road. Freeman was thrown from his bike as it ran down an embankment. He suffered a broken neck.
Count four of the indictment against Marshall states she was driving recklessly “…talking to a passenger and not paying attention to the roadway, driving too fast during a curve and using her cellular phone, in a reckless disregard for the safety of persons and property.”
Marshall left the scene of the accident without rendering aid or notifying authorities. Freeman’s brother discovered his body the next day.
Marshall was arrested three weeks later by state troopers at a home in Dahlonega.
Freeman was an Army veteran and outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed riding motorcycles, traveling and skydiving, according to friends. He was the owner of About Time Tree Service in Cornelia and also worked as a skydiving instructor in Atlanta at the time of his death.
