Man Gets 20 Years For Hitting Emily Bowman in Drunk Driving Crash

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The man accused of driving under the influence when he struck Woodstock High School graduate Emily Bowman has been sentenced to serve 20 years.

According to the Athens Banner-Herald, William Wilson Heaton, 24, on Monday was sentenced to 20 years total, with 10 years to serve behind bars and the rest on probation. He will also be subject to drug and alcohol tests while on probation, the newspaper stated.

The sentence was announced by Athens-Clarke County Assistant District Attorney Brian Patterson, who read a statement before Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard.

Heaton apologized to the court and to Bowman’s family for his actions the night of Feb. 16, 2013, adding he will be sorry “for the rest of my life.”

Heaton, originally of Rydal, was behind the wheel of a red Mazda pick-up truck when the vehicle left the road and hit Bowman from behind as the truck returned to the road.

Bowman, a former Kennesaw State University student, was walking on the grassy shoulder along Oak Street with a friend when she was hit by the vehicle that caused a traumatic brain injury, which has resulted in Bowman needing around-the-clock care and assistance.

According to the newspaper, prosecutors believe Heaton may have had more than a dozen alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel. Additionally, the Banner-Herald reports Heaton hid at a friend’s apartment after the accident and later called his parents to pick him up from a gas station.

Heaton was subsequently arrested and charged with hit-and-run, driving under the influence, serious injury by vehicle, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving and open container.

In June 2013, he was indicted by a Clarke County Grand Jury on 13 counts, including DUI, open container, reckless driving, serious injury by vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report the accident and failure to maintain lane. He later pleaded not guilty to the charges last year.

Bowman spent months in the hospital, and was eventually released from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Roswell-based Sunshine on a Ranney Day pulled together various community resources to renovate the Bowman’s Woodstock home to accommodate the woman’s needs.

She continues to undergo therapy and treatments as part of her recovery, which is documented regularly on the Bows For Bowman Facebook page.

Debbie Bowman, Emily Bowman’s mother, told the court the accident has “uprooted” their lives, and both she and Emily’s father Dale Bowman are working together to pick up the pieces.

“Her friends are getting ready to graduate this fall, but she’s on a different journey,” Dale Bowman added. “This is 22 months late, and I have nothing but gratitude for the people at the hospital who saved her life.”