The family of a doctor who had recently completed medical school and was killed in a fatal car accident is frustrated with the criminal justice system.
After examining the facts of the case, the Cobb County District Attorney offered the man charged in the accident that caused their loved one’s premature demise a plea deal where he will spend only one year in prison for the crime.
The plea deal was entered on Monday, May 1, and was not well received by the victim’s family.
Reports show Dr. Tyler Wallace did not have the right of way when he pulled out, and Brent Davis was drunk when his car collided with the doctor’s.
The 26-year-old died in 2020 after Davis crashed into his car while crossing a dangerous intersection in the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna, Georgia. An investigation into the case showed that while Davis had the right of way on that fateful night, he was impaired from drinking and arguably not cohesive enough to avoid the accident.
First responders had to cut the door off its hinges of the Chrysler to get Wallace out on Jan. 18, 2020.
Wallace, who worked as a physical therapist, died from injuries sustained in the crash two days later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
A police arrest warrant issued to Davis around the incident noted Wallace turned left onto Highlands Parkway Drive from the Highlands Grove Business Park. Davis’ 2014 Toyota Tundra hit the driver’s side of Wallace’s 2016 Chrysler 200.
Davis’ speech was reportedly slurred. He denied being drunk and refused to take a sobriety test, according to the police report. However, police found several empty beer cans in his truck.
He “had a heavy stutter, the smell of his Arby’s sandwich emitted from his breath, and (the officer) smelled the odor of either mouthwash or a breath mint,” the arrest warrant reportedly states.
This information is a part of the prompt that led Assistant District Attorney David Holmes to tell the judge he did not believe he had enough evidence to nail Davis, 49, on the first-degree vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol charges he was indicted on.
Davis’ legal team agreed saying, “The fact that he was DUI is truly irrelevant if he isn’t at fault,” in an interview with WSB-TV.
Wallace’s sister, Charisse Gilbert, said there has to be some accountability for Davis driving while under the influence.
Fault and circumstances, including the dangers of the intersection, also contributed to Davis’ sentence of 15 years in jail with 14 of those years served on probation.
“This is an issue that Smyrna needs to address. This is a very dangerous intersection,” Holmes said. “We believe this is the best potential resolution to this case giving the potential pitfalls at trial.”
Now, the family, his parents Tara and Valarie Wallace, and his sisters Charisse and Danielle, said they will start a foundation to continue the legacy of Wallace’s hard work — work he will never enjoy.
Gilbert held her brother’s white lab coat and said, “This is Dr. Tyler Wallace, our brother’s white coat. He earned this his first year in medical school in Augusta.”
“We’ll never have an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his labor, the fruits of his sacrifice, the fruits of his discipline, and neither will he,” the bereaved sister continued.
In 2016, Wallace graduated from the University of Georgia. Three years later, he would receive a diploma from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
These is not right it sounds like law on assisted bad people this time don’t agree with this judgement
It’s God who judge not u
It’s God who judge not u,he forgives
This is so sad and my heart and prayers go out to the family of the young doctor. This is another reminder that life is precious and we need to take heed and praise God because we don’t know about tomorrow. I also hope the man who caused his death will get a stiffer penalty than one year. He was drunk and should not have been on the road.
They say that white people stick together. But remember God is not a respecter of person. This just goes to show you that SOME white people can get away with a lot more than blacks and Hispanics. After all America is number 68 out of 74 on the most Racist country list. That should tell us a lot. And it is one reason America is having all of these problems because they are not fair in their judgements and give white people privilege over other races. America was NEVER a God fearing country because God says that you are suppose to have one law for all people. Remember this when the Great Tribuation Starts, and it could be sooner than you think, white people will be punished more. America claim in God we trust, even got it on our money, but it is money and skin color that they really trust. I blame Trump for this because when he was in office the racists really came out of the wood work.
I bet if the situation was reversed and the black man was drunk and he killed a promising white doctor they would have given him more time. My mother said something they she heard SOME white people say back in the 30s and 40s and I guess those white people taught their children and they taught theirs. And remember I said SOME, there are really good white people in this country and in this world, this is to those that are not, those that hate anyone that God allowed to be born without being white. My mother said that it was said, When you get a N-word down keeping him down. That might have been meant in a physical way but it also means always possible. Financial, politically, socially. Some of them hate that their daughters and sons, especially their daughters are sleeping around with black men, Asians, and Hispanics.
This proves that Georgia is still a RACIST place to live. The clown acting as Prosecutor should be fired and have his license to practice law REVOKED immediately
It’s a sad story and a great loss. However, the physical therapist was at fault, not the truck driver. He had the right of way.
Mike White he did not have the right to drive around drunk and drinking. If you steal a candy bar and knocking old lady down and kill her in a process of running away You still need to be charged with manslaughter or murder. Typically they order a warrant for a blood draw to de to ermine that person’s B A C whether that person wants to or not, why did they not do that in this case? It is obvious why.
The young doctor was at fault. Themost should e expected of the white diver is treatment. The young doctor pulled wrongly out in front of the white man. The young doctor is responsible for his own demise.