Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 29, 1992 TAG: 9201290285
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WOMAN NOT CHARGED IN DEATH
A woman involved in an automobile accident that killed a Roanoke police officer will not face criminal charges, city Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell said Tuesday.Caldwell's announcement follows a police investigation that was completed last week in the death of Fred Robinson, a 20-year-veteran of the Roanoke Police Department.
Robinson was killed Jan. 5 as he responded to a burglar alarm at Valley View Mall. The investigation showed that he was driving faster than 50 mph northbound on Williamson Road - without his blue lights flashing - when he hit a car that turned into his path. His patrol car then plowed into a building.
Regina Heck, who was turning into the parking lot of a nightspot, told police that she didn't see the rapidly approaching patrol car until it clipped the front of her car, spinning it around in the road, as Robinson attempted to swerve out of the way.
Although Caldwell found no evidence of reckless conduct to support a manslaughter charge against Heck, he did say that her failure to yield to oncoming traffic was one of three factors that contributed to the accident.
But the prosecutor said he would not file traffic charges against Heck, noting that Robinson was to blame for the two other factors that caused the accident - excessive speed and failure to activate the patrol car's blue lights.
"She had no real reason to be expecting a vehicle at that rate of speed," Caldwell said. "I just don't think any purpose is served by bringing charges in this sort of accident."
Caldwell said Heck and a friend had been playing pool the night of Jan. 5, and were on their way to another nightspot to continue playing. There was no evidence of alcohol use by anyone involved, he said.
With no grounds for a manslaughter charge, Caldwell added, "as has been my practice in the past where a fatality is involved, I feel that the commission of any lesser acts should be left to the civil courts to resolve, if any of the parties or their representatives feel so inclined."
Although the call to which Robinson was responding was not an emergency, he was traveling well in excess of the speed limit. Police said last week that if Robinson was at fault for anything, he already has paid "the supreme penalty."
Despite the loss of one of their own, Caldwell said Tuesday that "I have not heard one police officer suggest that they felt this woman should be prosecuted."
Keywords:
FATALITY