Suwanee Car Crash Leads To Murder Charge Against Duluth Man

SUWANEE, GA — The Gwinnett County police announced via Twitter on Wednesday that they've charged a Duluth man with murder following an early-morning car crash and fire last month at a home in the Suwanee area. The police said that a 72-year-old resident of the home, who suffered serious injuries in the crash, died on Saturday, Feb. 2.

The police identified the driver in the Jan. 21 crash as Ayron A. Poche, 24. He has been charged with felony murder and second-degree criminal damage to property, the police said Wednesday. Poche is being held at the Gwinnett County Jail.

The police and Gwinnett firefighters responded at about 5 a.m. on Jan. 21 to a house fire at 2929 Meadow Church Road in unincorporated Suwanee, according to a police statement.

When officers arrived, they found that a 2004 Toyota Camry had struck the side of the home, and the vehicle and home caught fire. The driver had fled the scene.

The police said that Janet Keenan, 72, was inside the home at the time of the collision. She tried to get outside, but fell unconscious due to the smoke.

When firefighters arrived, they took Keenan to a local hospital for treatment. She passed away on Saturday, the police said.

The police impounded the Toyota, and four days later, they tracked down and arrested Poche on a variety of charges, including felony hit and run, driving without a valid license, reckless driving and failure to report an accident.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Images: Gwinnett fire trucks and police at the scene of the Jan. 21 car crash and fire; below, Ayron Poche (GCPD)