19-year-old charged with vehicular homicide
Published 8:52 pm Thursday, February 1, 2018
Richard Devin Brazil, 19, was arrested Wednesday on two misdemeanor charges of vehicular homicide for an incident that took place July 18, 2017.
A press release from the Georgia State Patrol in July stated Brazil was driving a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant on Georgia Highway 219 at 10:30 p.m. The press release stated the Galant failed to stop at a red light and struck a 2011 GMC Terrain SLE with its front end.
Brazil’s girlfriend, 18-year-old Lindsey Bowles, was a passenger in the car and was killed in the accident. Assistant District Attorney Drew Case said that Bowles was pregnant, which is why Brazil was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.
The driver of the GMC, Doresa Gilder, of Valley, was also injured in the accident.
“Any time an incident like this occurs, it is always tragic,” Case said. “But we feel that the charges that were filed were appropriate based on the facts of this case.”
Case said Brazil was indicted earlier this month by a grand jury and a subsequent warrant for his arrest was signed by a judge.
On Thursday Sgt. Stewart Smith, public information officer with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office, said Brazil turned himself into the Troup County Jail on Wednesday.
Brazil was booked and released on bond Wednesday. His bonds totaled $5,000.
Case said since the accident the district attorney’s office has reviewed the investigation from Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT), as well as spoken with witnesses and the family of all involved in the accident.
Brazil’s next court date is expected to come in March, Case said.
The Georgia State Patrol was asked for an update on the case Thursday afternoon but had not provided one by press time.