A South Florida woman and her leashed dog were killed Monday afternoon when a car veered off the north shoulder of East Jackson Street in Thomasville, Georgia, striking them as she walked toward her parked vehicle. Liliana Cavallazzi Rucci, 47, of Hollywood, Florida, and her German Shorthaired Pointer, Cuore, died in the collision that has since drawn a criminal investigation and left her family scrambling to bring her body home.
The Georgia State Patrol responded just before 2:30 p.m. on September 14 to investigate the fatal crash, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. Troopers were called in at the request of the Thomasville Police Department, per the same report, which also detailed that Cavallazzi Rucci's car had been parked on the shoulder of East Jackson Street in a designated parking space when a westbound vehicle reportedly traveled off the shoulder and struck her and her dog as she walked Cuore to her car.
The driver is facing criminal charges, the outlet reported, though the specific charges filed have not been detailed. East Jackson Street carries State Route 38 through central Thomasville, according to KAYAK.
Who Was Investigating and Why
The Georgia State Patrol investigated the crash at the request of the Thomasville Police Department, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
Cavallazzi Rucci's body was sent to Macon for an autopsy, the Times-Enterprise reported.
What Charges the Driver Could Face
Georgia's vehicular homicide statute, O.C.G.A. § 40-6-393, distinguishes between two tiers of potential charges. First-degree homicide by vehicle is a felony carrying three to 15 years in prison when caused by reckless driving or DUI, while second-degree vehicular homicide is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, according to Moffitt Law. Prosecutors typically determine which charge applies based on whether underlying serious traffic offenses, such as reckless driving or impairment, were present at the time of the crash. What caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and travel into the designated parking space remains unclear.
A Marriage, a Cross-State Commute, and a Life Being Built Together
Cavallazzi Rucci and her husband, Drieggio Rucci, were building a life together in South Florida, according to the Times-Enterprise. Relatives set up a GoFundMe page for the family.
The fundraiser page also provides biographical information about her. She is survived by her husband, Drieggio Rucci. The Times-Enterprise also reported that she was a breast cancer survivor who attended church regularly, and that she and Drieggio would have celebrated nearly 10 years of marriage this December.
Drieggio Rucci is now raising funds to bring his wife's body home and arrange her burial, with the family-established GoFundMe page covering funeral and burial expenses; receipts for those costs can be provided, according to the page.
A Wider Pattern on Georgia Roads
The crash raises broader questions about pedestrian safety in Georgia.
Pedestrian safety remains a concern nationally.
