Manslaughter Charges in Two Local Accidents?

Johnathon Heath Atkisson was 29 when he died in frigid Cypress Creek waters last Friday. A family member has told us that authorities intend to issue manslaughter charges against the driver of the vehicle in which Heath died. We're sure authorities have quite a bit of evidence in this case, but we have been told by several sources that the driver's statements to police were continually changing.

Our sympathies to the family of Heath. He had attended Central High School and Northwest-Shoals Community College. He most recently had been residing in Double Springs.

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We've been told for some time that there will be manslaughter charges filed in a 2014 accident in rural eastern Lauderdale County which claimed one life. Why is there usually such a delay?

In some cases, the driver is charged immediately then indicted, as we assume will be the case in the accident that claimed Heath's life. In other cases, the evidence is first presented to a grand jury with an arrest following. This would appear to be the case with the 2014 accident.

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