A Rabun County Superior Court Judge today sentenced a Norcross man to 15 years in prison for killing two women in an automobile crash in Dillard.
Judge Russell Smith sentenced Sergio Garcia on two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide in the deaths of Donna McConnell, 60, of Clayton, and Lorie Smathers, 51, of Otto, North Carolina. The judge also sentenced Garcia to 15 years probation.
Garcia, now 21, was 19 years old when the crash happened on the afternoon of December 12, 2019. He was driving southbound through Dillard on U.S. 441/GA 15 when he rear-ended a vehicle occupied by McConnell and Smathers. Prosecutors say Garcia was speeding at 98 miles per hour at the time. Both women were killed instantly. According to the District Attorney’s Office, there were wine bottles in Garcia’s vehicle and he admitted to drinking “several” before the crash.
Garcia was airlifted to Grady Hospital for treatment. Authorities say tests revealed his blood alcohol content was .191. Under Georgia law, the unlawful blood alcohol content for drivers under the age of 21 is .02.
Before imposing his sentence, Judge Russell Smith considered a written statement from the victim’s husband and brother as well as a brief statement from Garcia.
The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team and Dillard Police investigated the crash. The case was prosecuted by Mountain Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Rosanna Szabo.
