The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A DeKalb County judge set a bond Tuesday for the father who police said was driving drunk when he lost control and crashed his vehicle Sunday night, killing his 15-year-old daughter.
Channel 2 Action News A DeKalb County judge set a bond Tuesday, June 5, for Anthony Johnson, who police said was driving drunk when he lost control and crashed his vehicle Sunday night, killing his 15-year-old daughter.
Bond was set at $12,500 for Anthony Johnson on charges of driving under the influence, vehicular homicide in the first degree, failure to maintain a lane, and endangering the life of a child while DUI.
Testimony during Tuesday's hearing revealed that Johnson has two previous DUI arrests, in 2002 and 2004.
Johnson showed little emotion as he entered DeKalb Magistrate Court for his 10 a.m. first appearance, but broke down and openly cried during his hearing.
Leaving court after the hearing, Johnson told reporters, “I love my wife and kids. Pray for my child in the hospital."
Johnson’s 11-year-old daughter, Joy, suffered a skull fracture and possible brain injury in Sunday’s wreck on U.S. 78 near Stone Mountain Park and remains hospitalized at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said Johnson, 35, was driving a Chrysler Pacifica eastbound near Hugh Howell Road when he lost control and ran off the road into the wood line.
Parish said Johnson’s four children were in the vehicle, two boys ages 8 and 9 and his two daughters.
After the accident, Johnson was unable to find his cell phone, so he took the two boys and walked to a restaurant on Rockbridge Road in Gwinnett County, where authorities notified DeKalb police about the accident.
“When officers arrived on the scene, the two female passengers were located inside the car,” Parish said. “The 15-year-old was deceased. The 11-year-old was transported in critical condition.”
Parish identified the dead teen as Corliss Johnson. Classmates told the AJC via Twitter that Corliss attended Stephenson High School, but the school system could not confirm that Monday afternoon.
She said the two boys were also taken to a local hospital to be checked out. One was released, and the other was held for observation.
Parish said DeKalb authorities were notified about the wreck around 10:45 p.m. Sunday but had not determined what time the crash actually occurred.
About 100 people attended a candlelight vigil Monday night outside the apartment Corliss lived in with her family, Channel 2 Action News reported.
-- Staff writer Alexis Stevens contributed to this article.
Personal Injury Attorney, Shane Smith, would like to offer his sincere condolences to the Johnson family and friends during this time.