Deveric Louis Jones (Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office) CANTON, Ga. – A Cherokee County judge sentenced a repeat DUI offender to 30 years on Wednesday, ordering him to serve the first 15 years in prison without the possibility of parole for a 2025 head-on collision that left two women with life-altering injuries. Deveric Louis Jones, 58, of Canton, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges including serious injury by vehicle and driving under the influence. Superior Court Judge Tony Baker handed down the sentence after hearing harrowing testimony from victims who described months in wheelchairs, multiple surgeries, and the loss of their physical independence. Because Jones was sentenced as a recidivist, Georgia law requires him to serve his entire 15-year prison term behind bars. The charges stem from a Jan. 9, 2025, crash on Hickory Flat Highway. Witnesses told investigators they saw Jones’ Chevrolet Silverado repeatedly drifting into opposing traffic before it crossed the center line and struck a Toyota RAV4 head-on. First responders had to cut the victims from the wreckage. While Jones claimed a mechanical failure caused the crash, investigators found no defects in h
