FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — The man accused of hitting and killing a Starr's Mill High School student while driving drunk last week was found dead is his jail cell Friday morning.
According to a statement from the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, the coroner pronounced the man dead after jail personnel found him alone and unresponsive in his cell at the Fayette County Jail around 8:30 a.m. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is now investigating the death, which is standard for practice. The agency's medical examiner team will also perform an autopsy.
"This tragedy in our community continues to widen and has terribly affected these two families. It is my prayer and anyone willing to join me in lifting these families and the faculty and students at Starr’s Mill High School as they continue to process, grieve, and recover from this heartbreak," Sheriff Barry H. Babb said.
Starr's Mill High School sophomore Russell Logan was walking home from a lacrosse game last week when a Pontiac Grand Prix struck and killed the teenager. Russell later died in the hospital, officials said. He had just turned 16 years old in September.
Deputies previously said the 60-year-old suspect was under the influence when he drove across the southbound lane of Brechin Drive and killed Logan along the sidewalk. According to court records, he was previously arrested for a DUI in 2008 and then again in 2017. Following the most recent incident, the man was facing a slew of new charges — vehicular homicide, DUI, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.