An Atlanta man was driving under the influence Saturday night when he caused a crash in Dunwoody that killed an 8-year-old girl, authorities said.
The wreck happened about 9:25 p.m. in front of the Lacota Apartments in the 6600 block of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. According to investigators, the driver of a Honda Civic pulled out of the complex and was rear-ended by a Toyota Tacoma.
The young girl, identified as Mariah Johnson by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, was a passenger in the Civic. She was taken to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, where she died from her injuries.
The Civic driver was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, but police did not release her condition. She has not been publicly identified.
Cheek said the Tacoma driver tried to run away after the crash but was detained by Doraville police officers who had responded to the area. He was identified by Dunwoody police as Jose Alejandro Cuahuizo-Varela.
Cuahuizo-Varela was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Sunday morning on charges of felony homicide by vehicle and hit-and-run. He is also charged with DUI, reckless driving, serious injury by vehicle and driving without a valid license, according to online records, which listed him as having an Atlanta address.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, police said. The complex is located near Tilly Mill Road and Winters Chapel Road.
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