A Henry County man charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a Covington resident in January recently had his first appearance and will later appear before a grand jury.

Earl Smith, 36, of McDonough had his first court appearance in Henry County Magistrate Court Tuesday, according to officials with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. A Henry County Magistrate Judge has set Smith’s bond at $500,000.

Henry County Police Department officers arrested Smith Jan. 19 after an automobile accident at Ga. Highway 81 and Wynn Road in McDonough that killed 36-year-old Michael Kingsley of Covington.

Kingsley, a member of the Matt Pippin Band in Macon, was headed home from a show in Newnan when the accident happened around 3:30 a.m., according to the band’s Facebook Page.

A release from Henry County Police said Kingsley was pronounced dead at the scene. Smith was charged with failure to maintain lane, driving under the influence and felony vehicular homicide.

According to the release, Smith was treated for minor injuries and later taken to the Henry County Jail.

The police statement said Smith was driving a Chevrolet Trailblazer westbound on Ga. Highway 81 when the vehicle crossed the center of the road and into the path of Kingsley’s Honda Accord, causing a head-on collision.