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Negligent homicide: Drummond man charged in fatality accidentFeb 08, 2013 (Enid News & Eagle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A 29-year-old Drummond man has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle in the death of an Isabella man last year. Robert Joseph Stonehocker was charged Wednesday in the Oct. 5, 2012, death of 21-year-old Justin Bedwell, following a collision at an intersection northeast of Drummond. Stonehocker, who is free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, was arraigned on the misdemeanor charge Friday and ordered to return to court March 6 for a bond appearance. Stonehocker faces a fine of $100 to $1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to a year. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Oklahoma High Patrol Trooper Jeff Jech responded at about 5:19 p.m. Oct. 5, 2012, to a two-vehicle collision at Skeleton and Stabe roads in Garfield County. Jech arrived and saw a white Dodge pickup, driven by Stonehocker, in the south ditch of Skeleton Road and west of Stabe Road, according to the affidavit. He also found a silver Pontiac, driven by Bedwell, on its top in a field to the southwest of the intersection. Jech's investigation found Stonehocker was westbound on Skeleton Road and Bedwell was southbound on Stabe Road, which is known as Cheyenne Street inside Drummond city limits. There are stop signs at the intersection on Skeleton Road, meaning Stonehocker was required to stop. Stabe Road had no traffic controls, or signs, at the intersection. Jech noted in his affidavit the Dodge truck had extensive damage to its front end and the Pontiac had extensive damage to the driver's side. Evidence shows the Dodge ran the stop sign, colliding with the driver's side of the Pontiac. Jech's investigation found the Dodge was traveling between 68 and 70 mph at the time of impact, according to the affidavit. The Pontiac was traveling between 34 and 38 mph at the time of impact. The speed limit on Stabe and Skeleton roads is 45 mph. The investigation also found five seconds prior to impact, the Dodge was traveling 68 mph, or 100 feet per second, putting the Dodge at least 500 feet east of the impact point, according to the affidavit. That shows the pickup did not stop at the stop sign, which was 31 feet east of impact. Jech also found in those five seconds the Dodge's brakes were not applied. Jech wrote in the affidavit Bedwell died from the injuries he sustained in the collision, which was caused by Stonehocker, who was speeding and failed to stop for the stop sign. ___ (c)2013 the Enid News & Eagle (Enid, Okla.) Visit the Enid News & Eagle (Enid, Okla.) at www.enidnews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |