Grand Jury Indicts In Fatal Hart Co. Wreck

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

An itinerant worker from the Atlanta area has been indicted by a Hart County Grand Jury in the deaths of three family members the day after Thanksgiving.

Marco Ramirez Hernandez was released from the hospital last week and taken to the Hart County jail.

Late Friday, Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White announced the Grand Jury had indicted Hernandez on three counts of felony murder, six counts of homicide by vehicle, two counts of DUI, one count of theft by taking, one count of reckless driving, as well as driving on the wrong side of the road, open container, and failure to wear a seatbelt.

The accident happened Friday, November 28th on the SR77 Extension, also known as the Lavonia Highway near the Lavonia Speedway.

Authorities say Hernandez was under the influence when he crossed the center line near the Lavonia Speedway and hit the oncoming vehicle head on.  That vehicle was driven by 48-year old Jerry Cannon of Canon, GA.

Cannon, along with his wife, 32-year old Katherine Cannon, and their daughter, 5-year old Marie Cannon were pronounced dead at the scene.

Hernandez suffered back injuries and was taken to AnMed Medical Center in Anderson before being released to Hart County authorities last week.

Georgia State Patrol Trooper Nic Johnson said the only ID for Hernandez indicated he is from Guatemala but had an address out of Doraville.

According to Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland, Hernandez was in Hart County working for a local nursery when he took the company van.

“He did not have permission to drive the van,” Cleveland said. “He took it while the owner was out of town for the holidays.”

Johnson said a blood tox screen was taken from Hernandez and sent to the GBI Crime Lab in Atlanta to determine his blood alcohol level at the time of the wreck.  Those results are not expected back for some weeks.

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