Crime And Law

Atlanta parents, teen driver indicted in deadly crash that killed Lakeside High School student

Hannah Hackemeyer (DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

ATLANTA — DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston discussed the latest in the case of the car crash that killed Lakeside High School student, Sophie Lekiachvili, at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Lekiachvili 18, was killed in a crash near Lakeside High School in the early hours of February 24. According to a police report, her friend, Hannah Hackemeyer, 18, was driving on Oak Grove Road when she lost control of the blue, Mazda CX-5 and crashed into a tree, turning the car over.

Hackemeyer, and her backseat passenger, Ananya Rao, were able to crawl out of the vehicle. However, Lekiachvili, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was trapped when the vehicle flipped over. First responders removed Lekiachvili from the car and rushed her to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.

According to the grand jury indictment, investigators believe Hackemeyer was driving at speeds between 95 and 98 miles per hour while attempting to make a curve at night. Additional data retrieved from the car revealed that she never hit the brakes.

The DA’s office announced that Hackemeyer is indicted on 10 charges: three counts of homicide by vehicle, three counts of Serious Injury by Vehicle, two counts of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Under the Age of 21, one count of Reckless Driving, and one count of Possession of an Open Container of Alcoholic Beverage in Passenger Area.

A DeKalb County grand jury also indicted the parents of passenger Anaya Rao, Sumanth Rao, 50, and Anindita Rao, 49, in connection to the deadly crash.

The District Attorney said the parents allowed three teenagers to drink in their home and to leave for a drive, taking an open bottle of wine with them in the vehicle.

“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,” said DA Boston. “We recognize that prosecuting these cases will not bring Sophia back, but we hope that by pursing justice in her death, we may prevent future tragedies.”

Officials also learned that Sumanth and Anindita Rao knowingly allowed teenagers to drink in their home on several previous occasions.

They have been charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, Reckless Conduct, and Maintaining a Disorderly House. Warrants have now been issued for the arrests of the Raos.

Their case will also be assigned to a Superior Court Judge and scheduled for an arraignment. Anindita Rao is currently in jail. Her husband is out of town.

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