DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston has announced the indictments of three individuals in connection with a fatal car crash that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Lakeside High School student, Sophia Lekiachvili. The incident occurred following events on February 24, 2024.
A DeKalb County Grand Jury indicted Hannah Hackemeyer, also 18 and the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash. Hackemeyer faces multiple charges including three counts of Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree, Serious Injury by Vehicle, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Under the Age of 21, Reckless Driving, and Possession of an Open Container of Alcoholic Beverage in a Passenger Area. Her case is set to be assigned to a Superior Court Judge for arraignment.
Additionally, Sumanth Rao and Anindita Rao, aged 50 and 49 respectively, have been indicted. They are accused of Involuntary Manslaughter among other charges for allegedly allowing underage drinking at their home prior to the crash. Warrants have been issued for their arrests.
The investigation revealed that police responded to a single-vehicle crash on Oak Grove Road near Kirkland Drive at around 12:11 a.m., where they found a flipped Mazda CX-5. Hackemeyer and backseat passenger Ananya Rao managed to escape from the vehicle while Sophia was trapped and later died from her injuries after being hospitalized.
Data from the car’s airbag control module indicated that Hackemeyer was driving at 98 miles per hour without applying brakes just before the accident. Tests confirmed she was underage drinking with a Blood Alcohol Concentration level over twice the legal limit for those under 21.
Further investigation uncovered that Hackemeyer had spent part of February 23 at Ananya’s house along with Sophia, where they consumed alcohol under supervision by Ananya's parents. They were permitted to leave with an open bottle of wine shortly before embarking on their drive.
DA Boston commented on these findings: “This crash was a foreseeable consequence of allowing underage drinking in their home and worse—allowing someone who they knew had consumed alcohol—to drive.” She added that while prosecution will not bring Sophia back, it aims to prevent similar incidents in future.