Jury finds man guilty of vehicular homicide

Published 5:58 pm Wednesday, May 24, 2017

It took a jury less than 90 minutes on Wednesday to convict the man accused of killing two people when he traveled the wrong way down Interstate 185.

Humphrey Kisia Semo was found guilty on all five counts against him inside a Troup County Superior Courtroom.

The man was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, possession of a schedule 1 controlled substance and reckless driving.

Presiding Superior Court Judge Emory Palmer wasted no time and sentenced Semo after the verdict.

The man was sentenced to 45 years to serve 40 years in a state prison. Semo was immediately taken into custody by deputies with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.

Semo drove the wrong way in the northbound lanes of Interstate 185 for nearly six miles before he collided head-on with an SUV the night of May 21, 2015.

Michael Dillon and his cousin Kirkland Baker, both in a Toyota RAV4 that was traveling northbound, were killed in the crash.

Kenrick Dillon, Michael’s son, was seriously hurt and airlifted to an Atlanta hospital.

He is now paralyzed from the waist down.

Dillon told the jury on Tuesday he, his father and cousin were driving to Atlanta to spend time with friends when the accident occurred.

He does not remember the crash, only waking up days later in a hospital unable to speak or move his legs, he said.

Semo was also hurt in the head-on collision and airlifted to Grady hospital in Atlanta.

While being treated for his injuries, doctors found a bag of a synthetic drug called “Spice” in the man’s underwear, Troup County Senior Assistant District Attorney Melissa Himes told the court.

Semo refused to allow the Georgia State Patrol to obtain a blood sample while at the hospital, according to the state.

Defense Attorney Jeff Shattuck said his client took full responsibility for driving the wrong way on the interstate, but insisted he did not do it maliciously.

Semo did not take the stand in his own defense, nor did his attorney call any witnesses.