The woman who killed a mother and daughter-in-law in a DUI accident along GA 365 last year will spend the next 12 years of her life in prison.
36-year old Kathleen Hamilton Steffens received a 30 year sentence with 12 years to serve in the state penitentiary followed by 3 years of house arrest and 15 years on probation.
The Duluth woman pled guilty to two counts of first degree vehicular homicide and one count of serious injury by vehicle during a hearing on February 16 in Habersham County Superior Court.
Prosecutors say Steffens’ blood alcohol level was “well above” the legal limit of .o8 when she struck the victims’ vehicle as it sat parked on the side of the highway near the intersection of Duncan Bridge Road just before noon on March 13, 2016.
63-year old Teddye Martin of Tyrone, Georgia and 26-year old Elise Martin of Atlanta, Georgia were killed in the accident. 25-year old Molly Martin, Teddye’s daughter, was seriously injured.
Assistant District Attorney Meredith Davis presented the case on behalf of the D.A.’s office and State of Georgia. The accident was investigated by the Georgia State Patrol, Post 7, in Toccoa and the GSP Special Reconstruction Team in Gainesville.
The sentencing hearing was attended by approximately 75 friends and family members of the victims, according to District Attorney George Christian. Twelve victim impact statements were read prior to sentencing. The courtroom was emotionally charged as family members shared how their lives have changed since losing their loved ones.
Teddye Martin’s son was on a mission trip to India when he got the call that his mother and sister-in-law had died. “He flew back 26 hours with his 14-year old son, confined to a plane with that on his mind,” Christian says.
He recounts how another family member told the court before Judge Rusty Smith, “Those numbers of deaths on these highways are not just statistics, those are our family, our loved ones, and we will never see them again.”
Teddye Martin had pulled onto the west shoulder of the road around 11:50 a.m. after getting sick while driving. She was outside the vehicle and the two other women were sitting inside the parked Honda SUV when Steffens’ Mazda CX-5 hit them. Teddye and Elise, who was sitting in the back seat, were pronounced dead at the scene. Molly Martin was sitting in the front passenger seat. She suffered serious injuries to her upper extremities.
The D.A. says he hopes this tragedy will serve as a warning to all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving.
“What was so sad about this case, and all DUI cases in which there are injuries and deaths, is it could be easily prevented,” says Christian. “Hopefully this will make someone make a better decision and think before they drink and drive.”
