Heaton Pleads Not Guilty in Emily Bowman Hit-and-Run Case

By Rebecca McCarthy 

The man accused of hitting and running over a former Kennesaw State University student woman while she walked along a street has pleaded not guilty to the multiple charges against him. 

According to a story in the Athens Banner Herald, William Wilson Heaton has pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges related to the incident, in which Emily Bowman of Woodstock sustained severe brain damage. 

Heaton, according to the story, pleaded not guilty to all charges and waived his right to an arraignment, during which the charges are read in court.

Late last month, a grand jury indicted Heaton with an array of charges, which include six counts of serious injury by vehicle and single counts of DUI, leaving the scene of a serious injury accident, failure to report an accident involving serious injuries, reckless driving, driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration, and possession of an open container in a motor vehicle.

While his court case is pending, Heaton is out of jail on a $50,000 bond, lives with his mother in Oconee County and wears an ankle monitor, the story said. 

Having spent months in various hospitals in Athens and Atlanta, Emily Bowman has returned to her home in Woodstock, where she requires round-the-clock care.