UGA student’s vehicular homicide charge dismissed

By Joe Johnson

A University of Georgia student has been sentenced to probation for an alleged drunk-driving incident in which his car struck and killed a man three years ago.

Benhur G. Tedfai, a 23-year-old management information systems major, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge for the 2023 incident on West Broad Street that claimed the life of 34-year-old Michael Jerrell Kitchen.

He entered the plea in an agreement with prosecutors after a Superior Court judge dismissed a DUI charge on the grounds police had improperly conducted sobriety testing,

Without the DUI there could be no vehicular homicide charge,

The judge had also granted a defense motion to admit evidence concerning the victim’s mental health. The motion included an incident in which a police officer once had to swerve his car to avoid striking Kitchen who was walking in the road and apparently oblivious to his safety.

When he was killed the victim was walking on an unlit area of West Broad Street near Beech Haven Church.

Tesfai called 911 to report that he’d been in an accident and later explained to police that he knew his car had struck something, but did not know what, and he drove away from the scene because he panicked.

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In the early morning hours in front of Beech Haven Church

Suppressed breath test results

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