CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Woodstock man has been sentenced after pleading guilty in a crash that killed a tow truck driver along Interstate 575.
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The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office announced David Albert Beaver Jr., 60, was sentenced March 4 after pleading guilty to first-degree homicide by vehicle and reckless driving in connection with the Oct. 19, 2023, crash that killed Frank Ingram, the owner of Ingram Towing.
A judge sentenced Beaver to 15 years, with the first year in confinement. However, the confinement portion can be suspended if Beaver completes several conditions ordered by the court.
Those conditions include 768 hours of community service picking up roadside litter through the Cherokee County Recycling Center and 180 days in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center, which must be served in increments over several years.
Court records show Beaver must serve part of that jail time each year, including every anniversary of the crash on Oct. 19.
Prosecutors said the crash happened on Interstate 575 southbound near Sixes Road.
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During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth B. Mackey presented traffic camera footage showing Ingram responding to a disabled dump truck on the side of the interstate. His tow truck’s emergency lights were activated as he walked along the shoulder.
Prosecutors said most drivers approaching the scene either slowed down or moved over, but Beaver remained in the right lane before veering across the fog line and striking Ingram. Investigators said Ingram was dragged about 43 feet.
Authorities said Ingram died from blunt force trauma.
Witnesses told investigators they saw Beaver’s van swerving across lanes before the crash.
According to prosecutors, Beaver told authorities he did not see the tow truck or Ingram until after the impact. He also told investigators he had recently been involved in another crash in Rome, where he totaled his employer’s vehicle but did not seek medical evaluation afterward.
Prosecutors said the crash highlighted the importance of Georgia’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to move over or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and roadside workers.
“This was a preventable tragedy,” Mackey said during the hearing. “Frank Ingram should still be here today, serving his community.”
Family members of Ingram addressed the court during the sentencing hearing, describing the emotional and professional loss they have experienced since his death. Officials said the courtroom was filled with family, friends, and supporters of Ingram.
Beaver must also comply with additional conditions of his sentence, including no contact with Ingram’s family or the towing company.
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