CHATTOOGA COUNTY, Ga. — A jury convicted a Georgia man in a deadly head-on collision that happened eight years ago.
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On Aug. 28., a Chattooga County jury found Daniel James Craig guilty on all 10 counts related to the crash on Taylor’s Ridge, including homicide by vehicle in the first degree, serious injury by vehicle and multiple counts of driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to officials, the crash happened on July 20, 2017 at the top of Taylor’s Ridge. Evidence at trial showed that Craig had been drinking until 4 a.m.
A witness said Craig’s vehicle was seen driving erratically, crossing the center line, and ultimately crashing into the Vaughn family’s car.
Opal Vaughn, a back-seat passenger, died instantly. Kenneth Vaughn, the driver, sustained multiple fractured ribs and Michael Vaughn, the front-seat passenger, sustained suffered a fractured hip and other rib fractures.
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Two civilian witnesses testified that Craig admitted to drinking alcohol before the crash, and a Georgia State Patrol Trooper confirmed Craig’s intoxicated state at the hospital.
A blood test conducted at 9:30 A.M. showed Craig’s blood alcohol concentration was .05, but expert testimony suggested it was above the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Craig had a history of DUI offenses, including a guilty plea in Kentucky in 2023 and an arrest in Tybee Island, Georgia, just 20 days before the deadly accident.
“The defendant told jurors that his guilty plea in Kentucky was his “greatest regret in life” rather than the life he look and the devastation he caused to the Vaughn family in this case," the District Attorney’s Office of Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit said.
A judge sentenced Craig to 30 years, with 10 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
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