CHATTAHOOCHEE HILLS, Ga. — Police have taken out charges against an 18-year-old who they say was high when his car crashed and caught fire, killing one of his passengers.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne sat down with Chattahoochee Hills Police Chief Kevin Digou, who said Townes Covington was likely so high, he may not have realized the car crashed until it caught fire hours later.
Kameron Leakes, 18, died after the car caught fire on Sept. 24.
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Police say Covington tested positive for Xanax, THC and alcohol. Investigators say there was also evidence he had been huffing nitrous oxide.
The car smashed into a tree, but remained running and in gear for nearly eight hours until the engine caught fire, Chief Digou said.
“The property owner came out one morning and saw that the car was on fire. And there were two individuals that were in the car, were outside. Fire got there in the process of putting the fire out is when they discovered a body laying by the car,” Digou said. “He died from basically burning to death.”
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Katrina Leakes, the victim’s mother, says her faith is the only thing keeping her together.
“Everything in me wants to fall apart. Every second of every day, I am in denial,” she said. “Talk to your kids as much as you possibly can.”
Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens confirmed to Winne that at the time of the accident, Covington was out on bond on a rape charge out of Cobb County.
Cobb County District Attorney Sonya Alen says a rape case is pending against Covington and under further investigation.
Digou says that Covington was supposed to surrender at police headquarters on Monday morning, but shortly before, his attorney said his parents had taken him to the hospital instead.
Channel 2 Action News tried to reach out to Covington’s family and attorney, but did not get a response.
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