June 12, 2023

Victim Struck on I-85 Near North Druid Hills

Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by jury trial in the case against a man accused of hitting and killing a woman on the side of Interstate 85.

Jurors returned guilty verdicts June 2 against Lester Rodriguez-Cabrera, 42, of Acworth, on charges of Reckless Driving, Driving While License Suspended or Revoked, Hit and Run Resulting in Serious Injury or Death, and two counts of Vehicular Homicide in the First Degree, in connection with the death of Jasmine Gaither, 31.  Rodriguez-Cabrera was also convicted on a Hit and Run charge related to a separate vehicle involved in the incident.

On December 3, 2021, Gaither was involved in a crash on I-85 south at North Druid Hills Road.  According to the investigation, she was standing outside the car on the shoulder of the highway when Defendant Rodriguez-Cabrera, driving more than 100 miles per hour, failed to maintain his lane and clipped a car next to him.  Rodriguez-Cabrera then hit the median, collided with the car again, and traveled across every lane of traffic, striking Gaither.

Witnesses saw Rodriguez-Cabrera climb out of the window of the truck he was driving and run from the scene.  The crash was recorded by another driver’s dash camera.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams presided over the trial. Immediately following the conviction, Judge Adams sentenced Defendant Rodriguez-Cabrera to 15 years for the felony counts and 24 months for the two misdemeanors to run consecutively. 

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Tarver, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Miriam Broussard, DA Investigator Samuel Washington, and Victim Advocate Marva Coward. Detective C. Curtis of the DeKalb County Police Department led the initial investigation.