Deveric Louis Jones (Cherokee County Sheriff's Office)
CANTON, Ga. - A Cherokee County judge sentenced a repeat DUI offender to 30 years on Wednesday, ordering him to serve the first 15 years in prison without the possibility of parole for a 2025 head-on collision that left two women with life-altering injuries.
Deveric Louis Jones' guilty plea
What we know:
Deveric Louis Jones, 58, of Canton, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges including serious injury by vehicle and driving under the influence. Superior Court Judge Tony Baker handed down the sentence after hearing harrowing testimony from victims who described months in wheelchairs, multiple surgeries, and the loss of their physical independence.
Because Jones was sentenced as a recidivist, Georgia law requires him to serve his entire 15-year prison term behind bars.
Hickory Flat Highway crash
The backstory:
The charges stem from a Jan. 9, 2025, crash on Hickory Flat Highway. Witnesses told investigators they saw Jones’ Chevrolet Silverado repeatedly drifting into opposing traffic before it crossed the center line and struck a Toyota RAV4 head-on.
First responders had to cut the victims from the wreckage. While Jones claimed a mechanical failure caused the crash, investigators found no defects in his truck. Data recovered from the vehicle showed Jones never hit the brakes; instead, the accelerator remained engaged until impact.
Deputies at the scene noted Jones smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. Subsequent blood tests confirmed the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine.
‘I will never be able to live a normal life again’
What they're saying:
In court, the two women injured in the crash shared the devastating toll of Jones' actions. One victim, who was confined to a wheelchair for three months, now relies on a cane and lives with pins and rods in her legs and feet.
"The collision turned my life upside down," she told the court.
The second victim had to be resuscitated twice before reaching the hospital. She spent two and a half weeks in a coma, suffering from internal bleeding, brain bleeds, and a long list of fractures to her ribs, hip, and face.
"I will never be able to live a normal life again because of my injuries," she said.
Assistant District Attorney Pete Lamb argued for a stiff sentence, pointing to Jones’ criminal record which spans 40 years and includes multiple prior DUI convictions.
"The defendant’s actions on the day of this crash were the culmination of a long pattern of impaired driving and disregard for the law," Lamb said.
While the defense argued that Jones' history was the result of substance abuse and requested treatment over prison time, Judge Baker sided with the state’s pursuit of a significant sentence. In addition to the prison time, Jones is barred from entering Cherokee County during his subsequent 15-year probation.
"Our community deserves to feel safe on our roadways, and that safety is jeopardized when someone chooses to drive while impaired," District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway said following the sentencing.
The Source: The details in this article come from the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office.