ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The family of a University of Georgia doctoral student who was killed by a drunk driver three years ago has been awarded $56.5 million in damages, court records show.
Beth Buchanan, a 23-year-old student in the industrial-organizational psychology program, was taking her mother to the airport on Feb. 13, 2023, when their car was struck by a driver going the wrong way in Barrow County.
The suspect, Cesar Raudales Macias, went into hiding shortly after the crash and remains a fugitive, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
“This judgment formally recognizes the immense value of Beth’s life and how truly extraordinary she was,” Rob Snyder, counsel for the Buchanan family, said in a statement. “This is an important first step towards accountability.”…