Driver charged in deadly Acworth DUI crash

An Acworth man was arrested after causing an accident that took the life of another driver.


It happened Saturday at around 12:40 a.m. on Mars Hill Road near Cobb Parkway.

Kenneth Chitwood, 48, was driving under the influence when he swerved out of his lane and hit a Ford F-150 pulling a single axle cargo trailer, according to police.

The F-150 was stopped in a lane transition area while its driver, 50-year-old James Underwood, placed advertising signs along the side of the road.

Cobb County Police Officer Mike Bowman said Underwood was standing next to his truck at the time of the accident. He was hit and knocked to the ground by Chitwood's Chevrolet Silverado.

Underwood was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Chitwood was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, DUI and failure to maintain lane. He is being held without bond in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. Police said Chitwood was not injured in the crash.