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New charges filed in fatal Jan. 25 crash |
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Thursday, 28 February 2008 |
By BRIAN HAWKINS
Starkville Daily News
Authorities have arrested the driver of a borrowed jeep who left the scene of a Jan. 25 crash that claimed two lives on new felony charges.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff Dolph Bryan said Thursday night that Ryan Crick, 25, of Ridgeland, was arrested on the three charges of aggravated DUI after turning himself in about mid-afternoon Thursday.
Crick was released on a bond of $15,000 for the new charges; he was previously arrested the day of the crash for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries or death.
Also arrested Thursday in connection with the crash was Eric W. Gregory, 31, of Smith Lake Road, Winston County, who was charged as an accessory after the fact, Bryan said. Gregory was released on a $5,000 bond.
Bryan said Gregory is the man who came to pick up Crick immediately following the one-vehicle crash on Oktoc Road that resulted in the deaths of 23-year-old Matthew Gaskin of Aberdeen and 27-year-old Jessica Burks of Starkville on Jan. 25.
The crash also seriously injured Maben resident Heather Kay McMillan, 26, who is continuing to recuperate from her injuries at home after spending several days at a Tupelo hospital following the crash, Bryan said Thursday.
"It's been almost a month to the day since this accident occurred," Bryan said.
McMillan, Gaskin and Burks were thrown from a green 2001 Jeep Wrangler driven by Crick when it flipped after veering off of Oktoc Road just south of the entrance to Browning Creek subdivision and struck a steep driveway embankment shortly before 5:30 a.m. Jan. 25.
The jeep, which was heading north at the time of the crash, flipped at least once before coming to rest on its side, deputies said at the time.
The jeep belonged to Gregory, Bryan said Thursday night.
Crick — a Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks game warden — left the scene of the crash, reported the accident by phone to E-911 operators and was picked up by Gregory, who drove from Winston County, said Bryan.
Crick later turned himself in to Oktibbeha County sheriff's deputies shortly before noon Jan. 25 and was promptly arrested.
Bryan said Thursday that Crick was arrested after deputies received the results of blood tests from the Mississippi Crime Laboratory in Jackson.
Blood tests are standard procedure in investigating any fatality crash to determine if drugs or alcohol may have played a role.
Bryan would not comment on what the results of the blood test disclosed.
"We do have the results back and made the arrest as a result," Bryan said. "I do not want to reveal more because I don't want to prejudice a jury in a trial down the road."
Crick was charged under Mississippi Code section 63-11-30, which addresses driving under the influence that results in death or mutilation. Should Crick be bound over to the Oktibbeha County Grand Jury, indicted, tried and convicted on the aggravated DUI charges, he faces a sentence of between 5 and 25 years per charge and would be required to serve 85 percent of the sentence as required by law.
If indicted, tried and convicted on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident with death or injuries, Crick could be sentenced to between 30 days and year in jail and fined up to $5,000.
Should Gregory ultimately be indicted, tried and convicted on the charge against him, he faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison.
Family members of Gaskin, Burks and McMillan were made aware of the arrests of Crick and Gregory after they occurred on Wednesday, Bryan said.
Mississippi Highway Patrol accident reconstruction investigators assisted the Sheriff's Department in determining exactly what transpired in the accident.
Results of additional Crime Lab tests on other evidence from the crash are still pending to help complete the investigation, Bryan said Thursday.
No other arrests are pending in connection with the fatal crash, Bryan said.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 29 February 2008 )
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