Family of driver in deadly Cobb crash say he shouldn’t be in prison because he fell asleep

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Social justice activists and family are rallying for a man who is serving time for a fatal crash in 2022. They say the sentence is unjust.

Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with the families of both the victim and the man who pleaded guilty.

Jaakim Finney had his third child on the way when was killed in a crash.

“He was the major key of this family and now its gone and everybody is devastated,” his mother Natasha Ebanks said.

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But Davonte Adams’ mother says her son’s prison sentence isn’t fair.

“It’s been very hard just knowing that the justice system failed him,” Cynthia Adams said.

She says that Davonte Adams was the designated driver and fell asleep at the wheel, causing the crash.

“According to Georgia law, a case like this should be a misdemeanor for an accidental death, so when did it became a crime in Georgia to be tired?” social justice activist Pastor Sabrina McKenzie said.

“You fall asleep and you crash, and my son is dead and that’s it. And we are supposed to pat you on your hand and you go on, no,” Ebanks said.

Investigators say Davonte Adams was going 97 mph in a 55 mph zone when he fell asleep and crashed the car. He signed a 15-year plea deal and is serving five of those in prison.

“Davonte gets to talk to his son and his mother. My son don’t get to talk to me, he don’t get to talk to his sister, his kids, his grandma, nobody. He gone,” Ebanks said.

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Ebanks said Adams wasn’t the designated driver that night.

Documents Newell obtained show Finney wasn’t drinking that night.

The District Attorney’s office said in a statement, “Unfortunate poor choices that were made that day resulted in the loss of life and Adams must take responsibility for his actions that day.”

Ebanks says these calls for justice have reopened her family’s wounds.

“For our family, it’s nerve-wracking to know that after 10 months, you decide to have this big rally and say the judge is wrong,” she said.

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