Insets, left to right: Beth Buchanan (Canella Snyder LLC) and Cesar Raudales Macias (U.S. Marshals). Background: University Parkway near Patrick Mill Road SW in Winder, Georgia (Google Maps).
A judge in Georgia awarded more than $50 million to the family of a Ph.D. student who was killed by an alleged drunk driver in a wrong-way crash while she was driving her mother to the airport.
Beth Buchanan, 23, was driving her mother to the Atlanta airport shortly after 3 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2023, when the suspect, Cesar Raudales Macias, allegedly made an illegal U-turn on University Parkway near Patrick Mill Road SW in Winder, which is roughly 40 miles from downtown Atlanta.
Macias, then 25, began driving the wrong way down University and slammed head-on into Buchanan's Kia Soul, according to the suit.
"The impact was so severe that one witness initially thought the car 'blew up,'" Buchanan's lawyers wrote in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Macias in 2024.
Buchanan died while her mother, Julie Olson-Buchanan, suffered serious injuries that required weeks in a hospital.
"Although severe, Ms. Olson-Buchanan's physical injuries were the smallest component of her pain and suffering — she also witnessed the death of her 23-year-old daughter," the lawsuit said. "In a heartbreaking 911 recording, she can be heard trying to ask if Beth was OK and realizing she wasn't breathing. Ms. Olson-Buchanan's life will never be the same."
Per plaintiff lawyers, Macias' blood alcohol content was "significantly over the legal limit." He is facing vehicular manslaughter and DUI charges. Macias was taken to the hospital after the crash but allegedly fled before cops could arrest him. He remains a fugitive.
Buchanan was a second year grad student at the University of Georgia studying psychology. Several of her teachers, family and friends spoke about the impact she had on them and others.
"One theme, in particular, appeared again and again in the stories shared about Beth: she was a light," wrote Athens-Clark County Judge Charles Auslander. "Nearly every person who spoke about her described the way she brightened the lives around her. One person even described her as 'golden.' It is rare to be described that way — to posses a warmth, brilliance, and kindness that others immediately recognize."
Auslander calculated that Buchanan would have lived another 56 years and the "value" of each year she lived would have exceeded $1 million. In the end, Auslander awarded the family $56.5 million.
But Buchanan's family does not expect to receive a dime from Macias.
"This judgment formally recognizes the immense value of Beth's life and how truly extraordinary she was," plaintiff attorney Rob Snyder told local NBC affiliate WXIA. "This is an important first step towards accountability."
In a statement to the outlet, Buchanan's parents said the lawsuit was never about the money.
"This award is largely symbolic and we do not want it to be mistaken for compensation. No amount of money could ever account for the loss of our daughter or fill the void she left behind," the statement said. "For us, this judgment is about a formal, legal acknowledgment of the beautiful life that was stolen from her and all those who loved her."
Anyone with information on Macias' whereabouts can contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-926-8332.