Weatherholt innocent of teen's road death | News

After reviewing more than two days of courtroom evidence and testimony that prosecutors presented to a jury, Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge David Hammer granted the defense attorney's motion seeking to end the trial of a Blue Ridge Mountain man charged with negligent homicide in the 2022 traffic death of a Washington high school student.Hammer ruled May 27 that prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence showing that Eugene Wesley Weatherholt acted with reckless disregard, as required by state law, when he drove his pickup truck through what police concluded was a red light at the busy intersection of Route 9 and Oak Lee Drive. in Ranson.After the judge permanently dismissed the case, a jury of 12 and two alternates was dismissed without the need to reach a verdict. Weatherholt, 53, walked free from the Jefferson County Courthouse following the fatal multi-vehicle collision that left Alana Williams, 17, of Charles Town dead. Williams died on April 10, 2022, before she could decide whether she would attend Fairmont University or West Virginia University the following fall, according to her family. Anyone convicted of negligent homicide in West Virginia could face a sentence of up to a year in jail or prison, a fine of $100 to $1,000, or both.Relying on accident reconstructions and witness statements, police said Weatherholt caused the fatal crash when he drove his Ford F350 pickup truck through a red light and into Williams' car, a Toyota Rav 4. Two other cars were damaged, including one vehicle struck by debris. No other people were injured or killed.Three officers from the Ranson Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office testified about the cause and circumstances of the crash during Weatherholt's trial. During opening arguments May 18, Assistant Prosecutor Neil Zahradnik argued that the negligent driving case against Weatherholt was straightforward. Because Weatherholt failed to stop at the intersection's red light, he should be guilty of recklessly causing a fatal accident that otherwise would have been preventable, Zahradnik argued. However, Charles Town's defense attorney, Kirk Bottner, disputed Zahradnik's interpretation of the testimony and evidence. After police came up with different scenarios in re-enacting the crash, Bottner claimed no motorist completely saw what happened or could provide a coherent statement about what they saw.Just as crucial to Weatherholz's innocence, Bottner said an examination of Williams' body after her death determined she died of a severed brain stem. The college-bound teen had four bruises but no broken bones or other serious injuries. She also was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, Bottner said. But Bottner said Williams' injuries indicate she could have died because of a malfunction in her car's airbag. Although Weatherholt's truck may have gone through a red light, Bottner said there was no evidence he was driving dangerously — speeding, swerving or tailgating — when the crash occurred. He said Weatherholt drove through the intersection at a steady speed estimated at 60 mph, indicating he did not deliberately speed through the intersection to avoid stopping at a red light. Regardless, Bottner told the jury, “Running a red light in itself is not reckless. » Nonetheless, Weatherholt's legal defense would never have to be presented to the jury. In explaining his decision to dismiss the charge, after reviewing the evidence and the defense's motion in his chambers, Hammer said there was no evidence that Weatherholt was intoxicated at the time of the accident. The judge also said there was no evidence to show Weatherholt was negligently distracted by a cell phone. For these reasons, prosecutors had failed to prove that Weatherholt acted recklessly.Weatherholt doesn't remember the accident, although he does remember events before and after, Bottner said.After Hammer's ruling, Williams' mother, Jennifer Bartok, released a lengthy statement on social media criticizing the trial and the prior police investigation. “Today my daughter, Alana Williams, received no justice due to the incompetence of many people,” wrote Bartok, who has been outspoken on several issues related to her daughter's death.Bartok criticized police for what she believed was a botched investigation into the crash. She also argued that Hammer “set an extremely dangerous precedent” for irresponsible motorists.“Apparently, if you are aware that you are running a red light and hitting someone, you are not being reckless,” she wrote. "If you know the light is red and you turn it off, you will have no consequences for