COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Jury selection begins on Monday in the trial of a 69-year-old man charged in the December 2023 death of Harrison High School student Olivia Pugh.
The trial is set to begin officially on Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Cobb County.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Cobb County, where Pugh, a 16-year-old honors student, was struck and killed on Dec. 8, 2023, while crossing Ben King Road in Kennesaw. Police allege Jerome Cox was under the influence of alcohol when his vehicle hit Pugh, who later died at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital on Dec. 10, 2023.
Cox faces multiple charges, including first-degree vehicular homicide and driving under the influence. According to police reports, Cox admitted to drinking alcohol before the incident and refused blood and breath testing. His defense has not yet commented on the start of the trial.
The tragedy prompted local safety initiatives, including changes to traffic patterns near the Lights of Joy Christmas display, close to where the incident occurred. The case has galvanized community support for the Pugh family, with a scholarship fund established in her memory.
More about Olivia Pugh
Pugh was a student at Harrison High School, and according to an online fundraiser set up by her family, she was "one of the hardest working people you would ever meet."
The post goes on to say that Pugh was the Beta Club president, a National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Key Club, and Spark member, and also took honors and AP (Advanced Placement) courses, all while working at Chick-fil-A.
"Her smile was contagious, even if the smile was for a selfie. She was kind, loving, giggling, and determined, hard-working, and full of life," the post said.
Through her short years, Pugh traveled to London, Paris, Alaska and Hawaii," she never met a beach she didn’t like."
An online obituary set up for Pugh asks for donations to create the Olivia Pugh Memorial Scholarship, which will go to "a hard-working and highly motivated student at Harrison High School."