Lisabeth Expected To Plead Guilty In Crash That Killed Boy, 9

ATLANTA, GA -- The Fulton County District Attorney's Office said it expects a Canton resident to plead guilty to charges in connection to the death of an Atlanta boy and injuries to two other children while driving under the influence of heroin.

Ryan Michael Lisabeth, 29, is expected to enter a guilty plea on three counts of vehicular homicide in the first degree, six counts of serious injury by vehicle, possession of heroin, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, driving under the influence of drugs (less safe), reckless driving and driving on the wrong side of the road, the office said Wednesday.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Henry Newkirk is scheduled to preside over the plea hearing at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 2 in Courtroom 4A. He could sentence Lisabeth to serve 49 years in prison.

According to an indictment presented in July 2016 by a Fulton County grand jury, Lisabeth injected heroin into his body before he began speeding on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard in northwest Atlanta on April 15.

Lisabeth veered over the center line into the wrong lane, and finally onto the sidewalk curb where he struck three children, the indictment charges.

Isaiah Ward, 9, died from his injuries. His older brother, Roland, 12, suffered a broken pelvis and broken leg. The other victim, Timothy, 14, also a friend of the Ward brothers, sustained two skull fractures and a broken leg.

The injuries sent Timothy into a coma for three to four weeks. The District Attorney's Office notes both surviving children are in the midst of recovering "emotionally and physically" from their wounds.

At the time of Lisabeth’s arrest, responding officers noticed from his constricted pupils that he was under the influence of a substance, which was later identified as heroin. Police also located a syringe and plastic bag with a white powder inside of Lisabeth’s vehicle. He was taken into custody and charged in connection to the case.

Photo: a previous mug shot of Ryan Michael Lisabeth. Credit: Cherokee Sheriff's Office