Man Convicted In Fatal Hit-and-Run At I-85 S Near North Druid Hills

DECATUR, GA — An Acworth man was convicted earlier this month in a December 2021 hit-and-run that killed a woman on the side of Interstate 85, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said Monday.

Boston said Lester Rodriguez-Cabrera, 42, was convicted by a jury on June 2 of reckless driving, driving while license suspended or revoked, hit and run resulting in serious injury or death and two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide charges.

He was also convicted on a hit and run charge related to a separate vehicle involved in the incident, Boston said.

His conviction was in connection with the death of Jasmine Gaither, 31. Boston said Gaither was involved in a crash on Dec. 3, 2021, on I-85 south at North Druid Hills Road, and was then, standing outside of her car on the shoulder of the interstate.

Rodriguez-Cabrera was accused of driving more than 100 mph, failing to maintain his lane and clipping a car next to him. He then hit a median, collided with the car a second time and traveled across every traffic lane before hitting Gaither, Boston said.

Witnesses saw Rodriguez-Cabrera climb out of the window of the truck he was driving and run from the scene, Boston said. The crash was recorded by another driver’s dash camera.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams sentenced Rodriguez-Cabrera to 15 years for the felony counts and 24 months for the two misdemeanors to run consecutively. Rodriguez-Cabrera was sentenced immediately following the conviction, Boston said.