By Joe Johnson
A man this week was indicted for vehicular homicide in connection with the death of a University of Georgia student three months ago.
Edward Lee Stowers, 51, of Hartwell, was under the influence of cocaine and driving recklessly when he lost control of his car and struck another car driven by 20-year-old Drury “Dru” Anderson Shierling, a UGA junior from Leesburg, according to the indictment that was filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court.
According to Athens-Clarke County police, the fatal crash occurred Oct. 16 when Stowers was exiting the Athens Perimeter at Timothy Road. He was driving too fast for conditions and failed to negotiate a curve, going across the northbound lanes of Timothy Road and striking the center divider before crossing into the roadway’s southbound lanes and crashing into Shierling’s car, police said.
Shierling was killed and a passenger in his car was transported to the hospital, police said.
Police said Stowers left his wrecked car and asked another motorist, who stopped at the scene, for a ride to a RaceTrac gas station near Watkinsville.
The witness gave Stowers a ride, then called 911 to let police know of Stowers’ location, according to the report.
The grand jury indicted Stowers on four counts of first-degree homicide by vehicle -- one count each for driving under the influence of cocaine, driving with a controlled substance present in his blood, driving recklessly, and leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury or death; and also for driving while his license was suspended.
Stowers has been incarcerated at the Clarke County Jail ever since his arrest. A Superior Court judge in November denied him bond on the grounds that if released, he would pose a significant threat to the community and of committing an additional felony pending trial, according to court records.
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