Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 5, 1993 TAG: 9306050553
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Police said John Walton Stover, 20, whose car struck a car driven by Robin S. Washburn, mother of Dustin Washburn, was told in October that he could drive only to work, school and meetings designed to rehabilitate those who drink and drive.
He had been caught driving under the influence of alcohol on Virginia 419 near Interstate 81.
A judge found that Stover's driving record - which already included four demerit points for failing to obey a traffic signal - justified restricting his driver's privileges until October 1993.
Roanoke County Commonwealth's Attorney Skip Burkart said Stover should not have been driving on Peters Creek Road Thursday night.
Investigators said he had just left a beach music concert at the Valleypointe Corporate Center, where he had been drinking beer, even though he was under age.
Burkart said Stover could face a manslaughter charge in Dustin's death.
Witnesses have told police that Stover's car was speeding north when it plowed into the back of the Washburn car.
The impact of the crash knocked the Washburn car into the air. It came down on its front bumper and landed in the median, several hundred feet from the front door of Burlington Elementary School, where Dustin was a third-grader.
Inside the school on Friday, Julianne Holladay, Dustin's teacher, remembered him as just a typical little boy.
"He had a super personality. He was crazy about sports," she said. "It's been a very hard day."
Dustin had been looking forward to Thursday because it was the day his father was supposed to meet him for lunch at his school.
"He was loved by everyone," said George Akers, Dustin's principal. "Whenever you saw him, he gave you a winning smile."
A nursing supervisor said Dustin died at 2 a.m. Friday, but he was still on life support Friday night so his organs could be donated.
by CNB