CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A man is facing vehicular homicide and DUI charges following a deadly hit-and-run in Cherokee County earlier this month.
According to the Cherokee Sheriff's Office, 24-year-old Joseph Michael Tillman was arrested Friday in connection with the March 3 crash that happened along Towne Lake Parkway. Deputies said the 78-year-old bicyclist, Charles Johnson, was found unresponsive at the scene and taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
However, in the update Friday sharing news of the arrest, deputies said Johnson had died.
"Evidence from the accident scene was matched to Tillman’s vehicle," the sheriff's office said.
The investigation that led to Tillman being named as a suspect came with twists. That's because a day after the crash, deputies announced the arrest of another man -- a 20-year-old who they initially believed was linked to the wreck. His charges of felony hit-and-run have since been dropped.
They initially arrested the 20-year-old after witnesses indicated the suspect was driving a silver car.
"Our deputies followed that lead and found what was believed to be the vehicle matching that description that had been in that area at the date and time and had indeed struck a fixed object," the sheriff's office previously said.
The 20-year-old driver told deputies he pulled off the bumper and hid it in the woods, he said. And based off the findings in the investigation at that time, deputies said there was probable cause for that arrest. The sheriff's office did charge the 20-year-old with reckless driving and support a wireless device while driving, but deputies said he was not involved in the cyclist's accident.
That's when they said they located another car they believed hit Johnson. This eventually led to Tillman's arrest.
In addition to DUI and vehicular homicide in the first degree, Tillman also faces charges of felony hit-and-run, tampering with evidence, reckless driving and false statements.
He was taken to the Cherokee County Adult Detention and being held without bond. The investigation is ongoing.
