CC jury renders split verdicts for driver in bike accident

A Charles City jury has rendered a split verdict in the case of a Virginia Beach truck driver involved in a traffic accident last year that injured two men participating in a bike ride.

Carlton Percell Crawford, 53, of the 2100 block of Pier Point Place, received a guilty verdict on one count of misdemeanor reckless driving during March 14 court proceedings. The jury returned a not guilty verdict on one count of felony hit and run that resulted in injuries.

Last May 11, the Virginia Capital City Trail Bike Ride passed through Charles City, with hundreds of cyclists occupying the road. That day, two cyclists, John Clark and Will Bagby, were struck by a tractor-trailer heading north on Route 106 (Roxbury Road). Allegedly, the semi-truck stopped just briefly before proceeding north.

An investigation ensued to find the vehicle involved in the accident. According to John Burton, one of the cyclists, the truck passed him earlier during the ride, sporting the initials “HT” on its trailer. Those letters represented Harris Trucking, based out of Madison Heights, Va. located near Lynchburg.

Trooper Jonathan Richardson contacted the company’s safety representative, Steven Powell. Using the company’s global positioning system (GPS) history, results yielded Crawford as the only driver in the area at the time of the mishap. Richardson interviewed the defendant shortly afterwards, but Crawford denied knowledge of the accident.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Tyler questioned witnesses about the day’s events, hoping to piece together a puzzle to indicate Crawford knew what had happened.

“I remember there were three cyclists behind me and a truck was behind that,” said William Draper, who pedaled ahead of the injured pack. “I saw the truck cross the center lane and there was a pick-up truck coming my way.”

Jason Brady, who drove the oncoming pick-up truck, vividly recalled his experience.

“The semi was in two-thirds of my lane,” he said, mentioning he had to pull adjacent to the guardrail on his right to prevent a collision. “It avoided my truck by swerving aggressively back in the lane. It came within one to three feet of me.

“Then, I saw a piece of a bike tire come from under the trailer and it hit under my truck and door,” concluded Brady.

Steve Kaminski, one of the three men in the pack that was hit, spoke about the traumatic experience he witnessed.

“I saw the tractor-trailer passing us in the curve and that’s when I saw the pick-up heading in the opposite direction,” he said. “When the truck swerved back in the lane, I saw John go under the wheel.

“Will tried to turn left to avoid John,” continued Kaminski. “It was horrifying what I’ve happened to see.”
Bagby testified about his injuries that included five fractured ribs and mild head trauma. Clark, who is now resting at home, had his right leg amputated just above the knee and is suffering loss of feeling in his left arm and leg.

Defense attorney William Dinkin challenged the jury of eight women and four men to see his client’s viewpoint, saying that Crawford did not feel anything hit his truck.

“My client was hauling a truck with 79,000 pounds on it,” the lawyer said. “It’s hard to feel anything with that amount of load on the trailer of that vehicle.”

Crawford elected to testify on his own behalf, emphasizing that his training for driving a tractor-trailer would have kicked in if he knew about the accident.

“If I would have struck somebody, it’s natural for me to stop because that’s what I was taught to do,” said Crawford. “I never felt that I had to swerve to avoid anybody that day.

“I had to watch my speed and load that day because the road was curvy,” continued the defendant. “I always checked my mirror for collisions and had no reason to stop because I never saw anything.”

While Tyler’s closing arguments pointed to statements that numerous witnesses saw the tractor-trailer stop or slow down, Dinkin’s rebuttal emphasized the law and if his client intended to leave the scene.

After three hours of deliberation, jury members agreed with the defense lawyer’s viewpoint, rendering a not guilty verdict on the felony charge of hit and run. However, testimony from witnesses and even the defendant himself indicated he drove across the center lane several times, triggering a guilty conviction for misdemeanor reckless driving.

The jury’s sentence recommendation on the reckless driving conviction is 110 days in jail and a $1,250 fine.

Legal matters in the case, however, are not over. Both of the injured victims have filed civil lawsuits.