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Augusta Driver in Double Fatality was Drunk with Child Inside Vehicle, Cops Say

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The Augusta driver who killed two relatives and injured a child in a single-vehicle wreck on Saturday night was driving under the influence, authorities said.

Francis Porter Jr., 56, and the child passenger are in stable condition at a local hospital, sheriff’s Sgt. Caleb Lee said Sunday.

Stephanie Story, 44, and Steve Leaptrotte, 65, both from Pine Haven Road, Augusta, were occupants of the vehicle and died, Coroner Mark Bowen said.

Stephanie Story, 44, left, and Steve Leaptrotte, 65, were killed Saturday night.

The driver was traveling east on the 2200 block of Plantation Road when he ran off the road and struck a tree near Peach Orchard Road, the coroner said.

Porter was found at fault for failure to maintain lane, according to the sheriff’s office. He will be charged with DUI, DUI child endangerment and two counts of vehicular homicide.

“Porter Jr. will be taken into custody once he is released from the hospital,” Sgt. Lee said in a press release. “The investigation is still ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.”

Sgt. Lee did not identify the injured child or mention their age or sex.

 

 

 

Greg Rickabaugh
Greg Rickabaugh
Greg Rickabaugh is an award-winning crime reporter in the Augusta-Aiken area with experience writing for The Augusta Chronicle, The Augusta Press and serving as publisher of The Jail Report. Rickabaugh is a 1994 graduate of the University of South Carolina and has appeared on several crime documentaries on the Investigation Discovery channel.
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