Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 6, 1993 TAG: 9302060178
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
GRAND JURY WILL RULE ON WYTHE CAR-CRASH CASE
A Wythe County grand jury will decide whether to indict a 25-year-old Max Meadows woman on a charge of operating her car in a manner that led to the death of her boyfriend when she collided with a pickup truck driven by his mother.Judy Marie May was still on crutches at her preliminary hearing from injuries she sustained in the June 24 accident in the Gunton Park area of the county. The man killed was Anthony Ray Stilwell, 26, a passenger in the car she was driving.
May was driving east on Virginia 610 about 6:30 p.m. when her car and a pickup truck driven by Stilwell's mother, Vera Stilwell, 50, collided head-on. The collision occurred in the westbound lane.
Four of Vera Stillwell's grandchildren and her daughter-in-law, Sherry Stilwell, 22, of Max Meadows, were passengers in the pickup. Two of May's children were with her in the car. All were hospitalized after the collision.
The hearing did little to clear up the circumstances of the accident.
General District Judge Daniel W. Bird Jr. cut off prosecution testimony after hearing from Trooper J.A. Bartlett and receiving a statement from another witness.
Bird said he had enough evidence to send the case to the April 19 grand jury.
The defense offered no testimony. May will continue to be free on bond.
The statement was from Kenneth Michael Cox of Max Meadows, who said Anthony Stilwell had been at Cox's house shortly before the wreck. Cox said Stilwell had been sitting between May and another passenger, David Peak, when she drove away.
He said all, including May, were drinking. Peak apparently was dropped off just before the accident happened.
Bartlett said May and Vera Stilwell were both pinned behind the steering wheels of their vehicles. The body of Anthony Stilwell was sitting up in the car with a can of beer in his hand and the car had empty beer cans in it, he said.
Keywords:
FATALITY