Girl, 16, to face charges in fatal crash

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 1:16pm
By: John Munford

A teenage driver whose Monday morning wreck claimed the life of a fellow Sandy Creek High School student will face several criminal charges, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

Delsia Radlein, 16, of Fayetteville, has been charged with vehicular homicide (second degree), driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain lane, violation of Class D license restrictions and a safety belt violation.

The crash claimed the life of Angel Anthony, 16, also a student at Sandy Creek. Anthony was in the back seat of the 1994 Toyota Corolla driven by Radlein when the car ran off Old Ford Road and struck a stone mailbox shortly after 8 a.m., deputies said.

Anthony, who was not wearing a seatbelt, struck the rear window during the crash which caused her severe injuries, deputies said. She was pronounced dead at Southern Regional Medical Center hours after the crash, deputies said.

Radlein and another passenger in the car, Cameron Bush, also 16 and a Sandy Creek student, were both wearing their seatbelts and received minor injuries in the crash, deputies said.

Under Georgia law, Radlein was not supposed to be driving anyone else in her vehicle unless the passengers were relatives of her immediate family.

Radlein lost control of the vehicle as it approached a curve in the road, causing it to leave the pavement and strike the stone mailbox, deputies said.

The vehicular homicide charge is a misdemeanor.

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SPQR's picture
Submitted by SPQR on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 7:54pm.

In the early 60's in Fulton county on Powers Ferry Rd at the blind side of a sharp curve at the bottom of a hill that puddled when it rained was a large brick mailbox that was hit numerous times by cars unexpectedly planing on the wet street. The owners of this structure successfully got payment from the drivers who damaged said mailbox. every time it was damaged they rebuilt it stronger.


Submitted by freespeech on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 9:53am.

My heart breaks for these families and these kids. Regardless of what anyone says, we ALL remember being a teeenager. We all drove a little too fast at times, had the radio up too loud, rode in the car without fastening our seat belt, etc. This is just a horrible tragedy. Let's just show these people some compassion.

Submitted by booyakah08 on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 5:23pm.

When I was teen, I got my license at 16 and never drove like that so I guess not everybody does that. I feel bad for the girl that is getting charged with vehicular homicide. She'll have to live with being charged with killing someone (prob her friend). I feel bad for everyone involved (and I don't know them).

Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 9:44pm.

As heatjam pointed out, there is a zoning ordinance that prohibits "massive and immovable" mailbox supports. I'm curious, how is this enforced?

Mailbox Support

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Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 4:59pm.

Good question Cy.
Apparently the "law" regarding mailboxes is enforced about as much as the law regarding teen drivers and who rides with them in their cars. It is enforced as much as the speed limit is enforced or the driving in the rain without headlights on law.

The parents of that teen driver or their insurance company should be liable for the damage done to the stone around the mailbox.

This is a very sad and tragic accident but at some point teens and their parents need to be held accountable for all of the damage they cause.

jingle's picture
Submitted by jingle on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 11:13am.

While this may be a code violation...it is NOT enforced. I called two years ago, when a large re-enforced mailbox went up on our road and was told "This law in no longer enforced". Nobody ever came out to inspect! My heart and prayers goes out to everyone involved. It is a loss for everyone.


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 10:08pm.

But what defines massive? I didn't see the term immovable. Althought common sense would dictate so. But then again... common sense these days is as inapplicable as the Constitution currently is. Obsolete.

This ordinance is as clear as an IRS ruling. You would think that perhaps it was designed especially for lawyers. And as Normal hinted at.... perhaps they are.

CAP AND TRADE Congress in 2010


matt.barnes's picture
Submitted by matt.barnes on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 12:04pm.

The definition of the term "massive" is what ever an attorney convinces a jury it is.


Submitted by normal on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 7:16pm.

You bet. That owner of the mailbox may be very liable for this terrible accident. The mail box didnt look damaged. That would tell me it is reinforced with concrete, blocks and maybe steel or rebar. The reason I say this is that a homeowner on Tyrone rd told me once he put solid steel rods in his mail box at the entrance to his home. He said it was done so if anyone hit it or tried to push it over like some do for pranks they would be sorry. Just a thought.

matt.barnes's picture
Submitted by matt.barnes on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 6:26pm.

It is ridiculous that people do that. I am sure it is frustrating to find your mail box knocked over but it isn't worth killing over. The roads are dangerous enough without some jacka$$ building boobie traps for drunks and vandals on the side of the road.

-I understand that it is not confirmed whether or not the owner of the stone mailbox in this story actually did reinforce his mailbox but I have met people who bragged about doing so and I think it is very wrong.


Submitted by heatjam on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 8:28pm.

5-37. Mailbox Supports. The use of massive supports that, when struck, could damage vehicles
and cause serious injury to vehicle occupants are prohibited. Concrete posts, brick bases,
iron pipes and similar miscellaneous items such as farm equipment or supports filled with
concrete cannot be used for mailbox supports. (Amended 02/25/99)

Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 9:07pm.

Can you direct us to that code. I searched Municode and came up with:

Sec. 5-37. Right of entry.
Where it is necessary to make an inspection to enforce the provisions of this code, or where the building official has reasonable cause to believe that there exists in a structure......

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Submitted by heatjam on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 9:25pm.

go to fayettecountyga.gov and look under the a-z index for mailboxes.

Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 9:31pm.

Thanks!!!
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Submitted by heatjam on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 10:02pm.

Anytime.

Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 9:59pm.

5-37. Mailbox Supports. The use of massive supports that, when struck, could damage vehiclesand cause serious injury to vehicle occupants are prohibited. Concrete posts, brick bases, iron pipes and similar miscellaneous items such as farm equipment or supports filled with concrete cannot be used for mailbox supports. (Amended 02/25/99)

Okay...I seem to remember something about this ordinance when it was amended. What puzzles me is that this ordinance appears to be extremely vague. I thought the ordinance applied to arterial county roads and even at that, exisiting mailboxes were allowed to remain. Does this code apply to side streets or subdivision streets? I know that on my street there are supports made from stone, block, wooden posts, and steel pipe of which can ALL when struck, could damage vehicles and cause serious injury to vehicle occupants.

I can't think of any support that guarantees a vehicle or occupant won't be damaged or injured. Minimize yes. But prevent? Hmmmmm.....

CAP AND TRADE Congress in 2010


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 10:11pm.

It other counties, it is embedded in their county ordinances not zoning rules. They actually have penalties established for violating that ordinance. Fayette County is kind of "loosy goosy" on the whole thing.
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Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 10:16pm.

Exactly. After looking at it.... I can understand why perhaps the Marshall's Dept doesn't even go there. I know the state DOT is very stringent on their mailbox regs. But seriously....after reading Fayette County's the whole thing seems "loosy goosy". Hey... where did I hear that already?

CAP AND TRADE Congress in 2010


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 8:37pm.

Hey Heatjam!

Good post. I remember now when this was being worked on. If memory serves me right all existing mailboxes were grandfathered in. Not sure on that.

CAP AND TRADE Congress in 2010


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 4:32pm.

Existing mailboxes were grandfathered in.

Tug Smiling


Submitted by AtHomeGym on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 4:08pm.

Would only ask where was parental supervision and influence in the Radlein situation?

Submitted by JustSayNo on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 6:19pm.

Good grief, her parents can't be there 24/7. I don't know these people and even if you do you should not be judging them. Do you have teenagers? I do. I guide them, educate them, have expectations and consequences for them and point them in the right direction with a prayer. I am not naive enough to assume they are out there following all the rules though. They are teenagers. Their brains tell them they are invincible. Also, maybe the driver didn't know the backseat passenger wasn't wearing her seatbelt.

Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 7:33pm.

The one that says 16 year-old drivers don't have other teenagers in the car except family.

Pretty easy to say "Go directly to school, don't pick up your friends" and of course impossible to enforce - unless you follow them, watch them or convince them somehow that obeying the rules is what the kid should do. Not cool, but better than being dead, doncha think?


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 8:16pm.

The accident is a result of a 'prank proof mailbox'. Another poster said so. So you see...it had nothing to do with obeying rules.

CAP AND TRADE Congress in 2010


Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 8:56pm.

What in the world is a "prank proof mailbox" and what idiot would have a rule that says they are illegal? Tyrone? Barry Amos?


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 12/15/2009 - 10:01pm.

Read Normal. Maybe that will help you. Eye-wink

CAP AND TRADE Congress in 2010


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