3 Indicted In Lakeside Student's Death During DeKalb Crash

DECATUR, GA — A grand jury on Wednesday indicted two parents and an 18-year-old girl in connection with a Decatur crash that killed an 18-year-old Lakeside High School student in February, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said.

Boston's office said the trio is facing charges in connection with the Feb. 24 single-car crash that killed Sophia Lekiachvili at Oak Grove Road near Kirkland Drive.

The fatal crash happened around 12:15 a.m. Responding officers found a blue Mazda CX-5 flipped upside down in the roadway, Boston's office said. Four girls were identified as the occupants of the car.

The driver, identified as 18-year-old Hannah Hackemeyer, and a backseat passenger were able to escape the car by crawling out of it, Boston's office said.

Lekiachvili was trapped in the front passenger seat at the time, Boston's office said. She was extracted from the car and rushed to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries, Boston's office said.

Data recovered from the car’s airbag control module showed that Hackemeyer was driving at least 60 mph over the speed limit, hitting 98 mph just one second before the crash, Boston's office said.

Furthermore, Boston's office said the car's computer conveyed that Hackemeyer never tapped the brakes.

During the investigation, authorities determined that Hackemeyer was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the deadly crash and had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.046, Boston's office said. Her BAC was more than twice the legal limit for someone younger than age 21, Boston's office said.

Hackemeyer and the female passengers, including Lekiachvili, were accused of sharing a bottle of wine at one of their homes the evening before the crash. Boston's office said they drank the wine "in plain view" of their parents.

The parents were identified by Boston's office as Sumanth and Anindita Rao, ages 50 and 49 respectively. Around 11:45 p.m., the girls told the dad that "they wanted to go for a drive," which he was accused of allowing.

The dad also permitted the girls to take the open bottle of wine with them into the car, Boston's office said. Prosecutors added the evening was not the first time the Raos let the girls drink in their home, as they had done so on several past occasions.

A grand jury indictment returned Wednesday charged Hackemeyer on suspicion of three counts of first-degree homicide by vehicle, three counts of serious injury by vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol under the age of 21, driving under the influence of alcohol less safe, reckless driving and possession of an open container of alcoholic beverage in the passenger area, Boston's office said. An arraignment date has not yet been set.

The Raos were indicted and charged on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and maintaining a disorderly house, Boston's office said. Warrants were issued for their arrests, and they will be arraigned, Boston's office said.

“This crash was a foreseeable consequence of allowing underage drinking in their home and worse—allowing someone who they knew had consumed alcohol—to drive,” Boston said in a news release. “We recognize that prosecuting these cases will not bring Sophia back, but we hope that by pursuing justice in her death, we may prevent future tragedies.”