GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a man accused of killing a pedestrian in a DUI crash in 2022 while fleeing from police in Gwinnett County.

Officials say 59-year-old Victor Allen Smith appealed his conviction, while claiming prosecutors prejudiced the case when they told the jury that his license had been suspended for about 18 years at the time of the crash.

However, the Supreme Court determines Gwinnett County prosecutors presented strong evidence of Smith’s guilt in the death of 22-year-old Hugo Martinez.

Martinez was standing near his broken down truck along I-85 when he was hit.