Posted on 08/29/2004 8:48:12 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
A man who got into an accident after leaving a bar early Sunday morning drove several miles to his home and went to bed, his pickup truck parked in his driveway with the decapitated body of his friend partly hanging out the passenger side window, Cobb County police said.
Police said John Kemper Hutcherson, 21, of Marietta drove off a road soon after leaving a bar about midnight and hit a support wire to a telephone pole. The guide wire severed the head of his friend, Francis Daniel Brohm, 23, of Marietta.
Hutcherson then drove 12 miles to his home on Fox Hound Chase, where police found him Sunday morning in blood-splattered clothes.
A neighbor out on a stroll with his 1-year-old daughter called authorities after discovering the headless body in the parked truck about 8 a.m.
"It's hard for one to imagine that you would drive [several] miles from a crash site to your home, turning in various directions, and yet not know what has happened to a passenger sitting next to you in your vehicle," said Cobb police Cpl. Dana Pierce.
Hutcherson was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, failure to stop at an accident with death or injury and failure to maintain lanes. He was in the Cobb County Jail on Sunday night, held on $10,000 bond.
Police said that, before the two friends got to Runaround Sue's in Marietta late Saturday night, they had been at a house where they had gathered to watch a televised NASCAR event.
Brohm's father, Dan, said Sunday that Brohm, 23, was a mechanic who worked late on Saturdays and then met up with friends.
Police don't know how long the friends were at the bar but said the two left after Brohm felt sick.
Less than a mile and half from the bar, the pickup truck ran off Canton Road, traveled about 10 feet and hit the guide wire. Investigators have not yet determined how fast the truck was going when it crashed. Police would not say why Brohm was hanging out the passenger-side window when he was struck.
After the accident, police said, Hutcherson drove through a commercial and industrial district that changed to dark, narrow winding roads before reaching the two-story Colonial house where he lives with his mother and sister. He parked the 1992 Chevrolet Z-71 in the driveway leading to the house's two-car garage.
Except for the body in the passenger seat, the only thing amiss was the passenger-side mirror, which had been sheared off in the accident.
Later that morning, police found the severed head at the crash site on Canton Road.
The owner of Runaround Sue's said Sunday that the bar offers a courtesy van to take home intoxicated patrons. Before customers are allowed to enter, bar personnel check to see if they are inebriated, and the staff continues to monitor patrons' alcohol intake throughout the night, said owner David Ulmer.
"To my knowledge, these people weren't served alcohol at Runaround Sue's," Ulmer said. "It's unfortunate that we may have been the last stop they made before this horrendous incident."
Brohm's father described Francis — Frankie to the family — as a fun-loving person who had been friends with Hutcherson since high school.
"He was a very outgoing person who was very close with his friends and very close with his [two] sisters," Dan Brohm said.
Most residents in the subdivision where Hutcherson lives refused to talk about the crash.
Next-door neighbor James Q. Collier, a retired engineer from Lockheed, said he has known Hutcherson for almost 20 years. When Collier was laid up because of an ulcer a few years ago, Hutcherson would come by to help with household chores, Collier said.
"That kid has never been any problem," he said.
— Staff researcher Joni Zeccola contributed to this article.
Oooh, is he going to have a hangover tomorrow morning.
Oh, I hate it when that happens.
(steely)
Less than a mile and half from the bar, the pickup truck ran off Canton Road, traveled about 10 feet and hit the guide wire. Investigators have not yet determined how fast the truck was going when it crashed. Police would not say why Brohm was hanging out the passenger-side window when he was struck.
Could I have yakking his head off for $500 please Alex.
July 10th: 8 years clean and sober. I know these people on a level which many may not understand. I would suggest that the only comments offered be those of prayer and condolence.
Just damn.
Dang. I just searched under a few words in the headline of this article("decapitated", "Cobb"), didn't see the other article(Google News isn't always thorough.)
I'll bet he said something like "Oops, I knew I forgot something in the truck last night."
I'll bet he said something like "Oops, I knew I forgot something in the truck last night."
Is it true that this guy John is going to get married to the woman here in Texas who hit a guy, drove 3 miles home with the guy stuck in the windsheild, parked the car in the garage with the guy still stuck in the windsheild and left him there to die a few days later?
Then had friends help her take the body out and dump him? Sounds like they'd make a lovely couple.
Somehow I miss the logic of the mods moving a local Georgia story posted in 'Georgia' out of that topic and into 'Local News'.
But would anybody listen to me? Nooooooooooo.
It's called tequilla Cpl. Pierce.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.