THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996 TAG: 9604200328
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
A 23-year-old man charged with trying to elude police and causing a five-car collision pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and driving on a suspended license. A felony charge remains.
General District Judge Robert R. Carter sentenced Rickey N. Nelms to three months in jail, fined him $500 and suspended his license for six months for reckless driving. He also sentenced Nelms to 30 days in jail with 20 days suspended and fined him $100 for the suspended-license charge.
Maria T. Rosas Martin, 36, and her 12-year-old niece were among those injured the five-car crash last month. Martin and her niece were driving through the intersection of Volvo Parkway and Kempsville Road when Nelms, driving a truck, ran a red light and crashed into her 1992 Ford Taurus.
Nelms was being chased by police after two off-duty Virginia Beach policemen said they saw him fighting in a restaurant parking lot at Dominion and Great Bridge boulevards, according to police. When Chesapeake police later tried to stop Nelms' 1995 GMC truck near Chesapeake General Hospital, he refused to stop and the pursuit began, police said.
Nelms still faces a felony charge of eluding police. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
KEYWORDS: GUILTY PLEA POLICE CHASE ACCIDENT TRAFFIC by CNB