Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what happened June 19 around 4 a.m. when Jordan Griner, an intern in Governor Sonny Perdue’s office, was killed in a car crash with Christa Scott. Scott, 26, has been charged with vehicular homicide and DUI. Both young people had promising futures ahead of them, but now one has been put to rest in Augusta, and the other is facing anywhere from 1 to 15 years in prison.
Preliminary reports say that a witness told police that Scott ran a red light and slammed into the driver’s side of Griner’s car. Those involved in the case are trying to figure out how alcohol factored into the crash. Investigators want to know how much Scott had to drink that night and who served it to her. Police say that Scott had a blood-alcohol level of .229, nearly three times the legal limit. Scott’s attorney says that his client has never been arrested for DUI before, making this her first offense.
Scott was working at Door 44, a Midtown bar that night. The bar has launched its own internal investigation to find out if she was drinking at the club after the 2 a.m. last-call and before she left in her car, which could potentially make the club liable in the accident, according to Georgia Dram Act laws.
Scott’s attorney says he will enter a not-guilty plea at the July 6 preliminary hearing. He is still also investigating the charges and the details of the crash. He said that if Scott is found guilty of vehicular homicide, she could face up to 15 years in prison. If it is shown that alcohol was not involved in the crash, but she is still convicted of misdemeanor homicide, she could face up to one year in prison.
Source:
Intern’s death: DUI suspect sobs during news conference (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)