Chatsworth man charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, DUI
Sep. 21—A Chatsworth man is charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, DUI and reckless driving in connection with a two-vehicle wreck in June in Murray County.
Billy Ray Burke, 37, of 2916 Smyrna Ramhurst Road, was booked into the Murray County jail last week after being charged by the sheriff's office. He remained in jail Tuesday.
According to a Georgia State Patrol motor vehicle crash report, around 5:27 p.m. on June 14 a 1999 Mazda B2500 driven by Adam Lamar Harrington, 41, of Chatsworth, "was traveling north on Smyrna Ramhurst Road attempting to negotiate a curve." A 2013 Hyundai Genesis driven by Burke was traveling north behind the Mazda.
The report said the Hyundai "traveled halfway into the southbound lane" and "struck the rear" of the Mazda with its front. After the impact, the Mazda "rotated clockwise, overturning off the east side of the roadway" and "struck a culvert, causing it to vault, striking a tree with its left side." It "came to an uncontrolled final rest facing north off the east side of the roadway."
The Hyundai "rotated counterclockwise, traveling off the west side of the roadway, striking three mailboxes" with its right side. After hitting the mailboxes, the Hyundai "struck a boulder with its right side," causing it "to overturn, coming to an uncontrolled final rest upright facing west off the west side of the roadway."
Harrington was pronounced dead at the scene. Burke and James Martin, 18, of Rossville, were airlifted to Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga. Martin was a passenger in the Mazda.
