KENNESAW, Ga. — The jury trial of a man accused of driving drunk and killing a teenager in Kennesaw is on hold.
Jerome Cox, 68, faces seven charges connected to the death of 17-year-old Olivia Pugh on Dec. 8, 2024 on Ben King Road.
On Friday, a judge instructed the jury to take the next week off for Thanksgiving with testimony scheduled to resume on Dec. 2.
So far, jurors have heard from those who were with Pugh when the SUV hit her and police investigators who responded to the crash.
Prosecutors told jurors Pugh was with a group of friends that evening at the Joy of Lights. which is a walk-through holiday decoration display in a neighborhood near where the crash happened.
A man named Charles Herbough took the stand Friday. He told jurors he and his family were leaving the light show, crossing near Ben King Road, and he heard what sounded like a car crash behind them.
“We crossed, and right after we crossed, I heard an impact that sounded to be like a car accident,” said Herbough.
Just before that, he noticed a separate group of girls walking behind his family.
“The only thing I could think of was the girls that had been behind us,” said Herbough. “Then, I heard the girls on the other side screaming, ‘She’s been hit! She’s been hit!’”
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Prosecutors said Cox was the driver and argued he was drunk. They told jurors he refused a breath or blood test, but said he smelled like it.
“They were coming from a Christmas party,” said Cobb County Assistant District Attorney Nolan Slifko.
Defense attorney Kyle Denslow pushed back against the criminal charges Friday. While questioning a Sgt. from the Cobb County Police Department, Denslow suggested Pugh was not in the crosswalk and it was dark.
“Based on your experience, your assessment of the scene, do you believe that Jerome Cox could see a pedestrian in the roadway that night?” asked Denslow.
“Probably not,” the Sgt. answered.
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The crash threw Pugh upon impact. Herbough described finding her shoes and socks before her. She died in the hospital two days later.
Prosecutors are working to convince the jury Cox is guilty of seven crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.
Those charges include homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, driving under the influence, open container, failure to yield, use of care to avoid collision with pedestrian and obstruction of a police officer.
According to court documents, the homicide, failure to yield, and injury charges are related to Pugh’s death. The open container, DUI and use of care charges stem from drinking accusations. The obstruction charge is related to the breath and blood test refusal.
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