Man indicted for murder after crashing his car into his fiancée’s car

A Cobb County grand jury has indicted Michael David Lauray on charges that he intentionally caused a crash that killed one woman and critically injured his fiancée during what was described as a domestic violence incident.

Lauray was indicted on seven counts including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, terroristic threats, making false statements, and battery.

According to police, Lauray had been threatening, both verbally and through text messages, to kill his fiancée after an argument.

Lauray’s arrest warrant states, “Said accused, while operating a black 2019 Chevrolet Trax bearing GA tag CKX7291, did operate with disregard for the safety of persons and property so as to cause a multi-vehicle crash”.

Police say that on Aug. 31, Lauray intentionally crashed his car into a vehicle being driven by his fiancée, 25-year-old Carese Wright, which resulted in a crash that killed Wright’s passenger, Alexus Hickling. 

Wright was driving a 1994 Toyota Corolla heading north on Powder Springs Street when she was hit from the rear by Lauray. Wright’s vehicle was pushed into oncoming southbound traffic and struck by a 2013 Kia Optima driven by Jodie Wasson. The passenger side of Wright’s Corolla was struck by the Optima. Hickling, 24, of College Park was killed. Wright was critically injured with a laceration to her liver and a brain bleed, but survived the crash. 

Police said Lauray left the scene of the crash and failed to call 911. He returned a brief time later, uninjured, and initially gave police false information about what happened.

Lauray is being held at the Cobb County jail without bond.