Augusta man denied bond in fatal crash
A man accused of causing a fatal crash while driving drunk was denied bond Friday.
Samuel A. Johnson, 53, is charged with vehicular homicide in the death of Arden Jackson, 47, on Dec. 3. During his bond hearing Friday in Richmond County Superior Court, Assistant District Attorney Amanda Pennington said Jackson was a passenger in Johnson’s truck when Johnson drove off of Travis Road and struck a pine tree Nov. 20.
Johnson, Jackson and another passenger were thrown from the vehicle. The passenger i suffered a number of broken bones, Pennington said. Jackson’s cause of death was blunt force trauma. Johnson’s blood alcohol level after the crash was .192. A driver is considered intoxicated at .08.
Johnson has had a series of traffic offenses from 1993 to 2015, including driving under the influence.
Defense attorney Greg Gelpi asked Judge Daniel J. Craig for a reasonable bond, citing Johnson’s extensive ties to the community. Johnson, a high school graduate, is on disability.