DRUGGED-UP DRIVER GUILTY IN DEATHS OF TWO SISTERS

Eight Children Left Motherless by Convicted Driver Edward O. Hill

Atlanta-Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announces the conviction of Edward O. Hill of Marietta on eight counts in the deaths last year of two Atlanta sisters. Hill was convicted of 4 counts of vehicular homicide; two with an underlying count of reckless driving and two with an underlying count of driving under the influence of drugs. He was also found guilty of reckless driving, driving under the influence of drugs, disregarding a traffic control signal (running a red light) and failure to exercise due care while driving.

The witnesses presented at trial by Assistant District Attorney Shondeana Crews testified the 42-year-old Hill had been smoking crack cocaine and had had a heated argument with his ex-wife when he got behind the wheel of his battered Ford F-150 pick-up truck on June 28, 2003. Barreling down Bolton Road, he hit a car driven by Andrew Atkins, running him off the road. At the intersection of Donald Lee Howell Parkway and Maynard Street, he ran a red light and smashed into the Chevy Lumina carrying Veronica Key and her sister Domingo Key. 38 year-old Veronica, the mother of 3, and 37 year-old Domingo, the mother of 5 children, were on their way to see the new home Veronica was purchasing. Veronica died at the scene. Domingo died hours later at Grady Memorial Hospital. In the same incident, Hill struck a pedestrian, who survived the accident. Witnesses say Hill was traveling over 70 miles per hour.

Following the conviction Thursday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Tracy Molton sentenced Hill to 25 years in prison.

CONTACT: Lyn Vaughn, 404-224-0560 (office); 404-533-1381 (pager)