Groom May Be Charged for Bride's Death in Wedding Day Crash
Kali Dobson, 25, was killed in a crash hours after her wedding.
Dec. 31, 2013 — -- A badly injured groom may face charges for a car crash that killed his bride as they left a reception just hours after they were married.
Kali Shay Dobson, 25, of Jasper, Ga., had been married just hours to Ryan Patrick Quinton, 27, when the couple got into their Pontiac Firebird Sunday evening and drove off down Ball Ground Highway in Cherokee County, Ga. Shortly after, Quinton lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and rolled down an embankment, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
Dobson was thrown from the vehicle, which landed on top of her. She died at the scene.
Quinton stumbled from the wreckage in search of help, eventually flagging down motorist Chris Thomas.
"His shirt was all torn up and he was bleeding. He had blood all over his face and blood coming out of his hands and stuff and just looked bad. And it scared me to death," Thomas told ABC News Affiliate WSB-TV.
Quinton told police he swerved to avoid hitting a dog in the road before losing control of the vehicle. He could potentially be hit with criminal charges if he is discovered to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, police said. Results of blood tests have not been released.
"Charges are pending the completion of the Georgia State Patrol's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team investigation." Franka Young of the Georgia Department of Public Safety told ABC News in an emailed statement.
"Blood was drawn to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor," the statement said.
Thomas told WSB-TV he tried to comfort a distraught Quinton on the side of the road as they waited for help.
"I said, 'Come here, buddy.' I didn't even know his name, and I held him and I said, 'Let's pray,' and we prayed," Thomas said.
Quinton is recovering from his injuries at Northside Cherokee Hospital in Canton, Ga.
Dobson's death is the second tragedy this month involving a newlywed returning from a wedding reception. Two weeks ago, William Riley Knight, a 49-year-old Indiana man, was killed after being struck by several vehicles after he had stopped to help a motorist stranded in snow on the side of the road. He had been married less than seven hours.