MEMPHIS, Tenn. — UPDATE 5/20/2021 - (Shelby County District Attorney General News Release) - A Cordova man has been indicted on two counts of vehicular homicide involving intoxication related to a two-car crash last year in Southwest Memphis, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.
A grand jury indicted Charles Robert Jones, 39, on additional charges of DUI, driving under the influence of an intoxicant, and reckless driving.
The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Jan 26, 2020, on Third Street and Raines Road. Investigators said Jones was traveling northbound at a high rate of speed when he disregarded a red light, crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head-on, killing Sonya Lea Roser, 54, of Ripley, Miss., and her passenger, Christopher Allen Hunt, 50, of Horn Lake.
Jones told investigators at the scene that he had been smoking “weed” earlier because he was upset over the death of Kobe Bryant.
The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Glen Baity of the District Attorney’s DUI Prosecution Unit which works with local law enforcement to reduce the number of DUI-related fatalities and injuries in Shelby County.
The Unit also conducts training sessions to keep law enforcement officers updated on new laws and changes to existing laws.
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1/27/2020 - A Memphis man is behind bars and two people are dead after a crash Sunday evening.
Memphis police officers responded to a wreck around 5:40 p.m. Sunday at South Third and Raines Road.
According to a police affidavit, Charles Jones was driving north on South Third approaching Raines when he crossed the center line into oncoming traffic as he was making a left turn onto Raines. He hit the victims car head-on in the middle of the southbound lane.
Both victims were taken to Regional One where they died.
Jones told investigators that he had smoked weed earlier due to being upset over Kobe Bryant’s death.
The victims have been identified as 51-year-old Christopher Hunt and 54-year-old Sonja Roser.
Jones is charged with Vehicular Homicide, DUI/Driving Under the Influence, Disregarding Traffic Signal, Driving on Right Side of Roadway and Reckless Driving.
