Summerville Man Sentenced to 30 Years After DUI Conviction in Fatal Taylor’s Ridge Crash

SUMMERVILLE, GA — On August 28, 2025, a Chattooga County jury found Daniel James Craig guilty on all 10 counts related to a 2017 fatal crash on Taylor’s Ridge that claimed the life of Opal Vaughn and seriously injured two others.

After a four-day trial before Superior Court Judge Brian House, the jury convicted Craig of Homicide by Vehicle in the First Degree, Serious Injury by Vehicle, and multiple counts of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (Per Se and Less Safe).

The Crash
The collision occurred on July 20, 2017, at the top of Taylor’s Ridge. Evidence presented at trial revealed that Craig had been drinking until around 4:00 a.m. At 6:47 a.m., a civilian witness observed him driving erratically—running off the road multiple times, hitting a guardrail, and ultimately crossing the center line into the path of the Vaughn family’s vehicle.

• Opal Vaughn, a back-seat passenger, was killed instantly.
• Kenneth Vaughn, the driver, sustained multiple fractured ribs.
• Michael Vaughn, the front-seat passenger, suffered a fractured hip and rib fractures.

Two civilian witnesses testified that Craig admitted to drinking and smelled strongly of alcohol immediately after the crash. Georgia State Patrol Trooper Lee Bowden also noted the smell of alcohol and Craig’s bloodshot, watery eyes.

A blood draw at 9:30 a.m. showed Craig’s BAC at .05. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab expert testified that, based on retrograde extrapolation, Craig’s BAC at the time of the crash would have been above the legal limit of .08.

History of DUI Arrests
Jurors also heard that Craig pled guilty to a separate DUI charge in Kentucky in 2023—after the fatal crash—and had been arrested for DUI in Tybee Island, Georgia just 20 days before the 2017 collision.

During cross-examination, District Attorney Clayton Fuller pressed Craig on his history of drinking and driving. When asked about his Kentucky DUI conviction, Craig testified that his “greatest regret in life” was that guilty plea—not the death of Opal Vaughn.

The Verdict & Sentence
After convicting Craig on all counts, Judge House sentenced him to 30 years in prison, with 10 years to serve in the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Family Statement
The Vaughn family expressed relief at the verdict:

“We appreciate that District Attorney Fuller received this case only a few weeks ago and made sure it went to trial. Because of his work and the conviction his team secured, we can now have some measure of justice knowing that the defendant is going to prison for a long time.”

DA Statement
District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller commended the Georgia State Patrol, civilian witnesses, and GBI crime lab experts, while acknowledging the delay in prosecution:

“This case should have been tried long ago, and I apologize to the Vaughn family for that delay. Since becoming District Attorney in 2023, one of my priorities has been moving older cases like this forward to ensure families see justice without waiting years. Driving under the influence is nothing short of a deadly weapon on our roads and deserves swift justice. If you take a life in my Circuit driving drunk—just know this: the only bars in your future are prison bars.”