Virginia man convicted in DUI crash that seriously injured Maryland woman

NANCY DRURY DUNCAN
Special to Salisbury Daily Times

A 22-year-old Machipongo man has been convicted of seriously injuring a Maryland woman while driving drunk and with evidence of cocaine in his system in a bench trial in Northampton County court.

After leaving a Cape Charles bar and restaurant, Tyler Lewis ran through a stop sign and a red light before T-boning a Mercedes Benz on March 10 this year, leaving a Princess Anne woman with serious injuries, the court heard.

During the trial, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton presented several witnesses, including the injured woman, Kristen Drummond.

“I am not 100 percent today,” Drummond told the court during the trial, adding she still did not have complete use of her left hand.

Drummond testified she remembered nothing about the crash until waking up in the hospital in terrible pain. She said she had four broken vertebrae, five broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken nose and rods and screws in her left arm to repair broken bones. 

She described the pain as a 12 on a scale of 1-10. 

“After 101 days, I went back to work,” she said. She said she could not lift her young children and still cannot completely dress herself. 

“You don’t realize how much your hand plays a part in everyday activities, said Drummond, adding both she and her husband worked in collegiate athletics.  

At the trial, the court heard that after Lewis left The Shanty restaurant and bar in Cape Charles, he failed to stop at a stop sign on Parson’s Circle and ran a red light at the intersection of Stone Road and Route 13 before plowing into Drummond’s SUV. 

Garrett Davis, a bartender at the restaurant, testified that Lewis paid for four Crown Royals and then paid for a fifth one an hour later. 

Davis said Lewis requested another, but he refused.

“He was flushed in the face. It didn’t look like I should be serving him more alcohol,” he told the court. 

Another witness who said she knew Lewis testified that she was driving behind  him in her car after leaving the bar and saw that he failed to stop at the stop sign on Parson’s Circle and go through a red light  at the intersection of the highway. 

The witness said she saw the crash. 

Lewis plowed into the driver’s side of a northbound SUV driven by Drummond, said Thornton. 

The witness told the court she saw Drummond’s car airborne, “hopping over” a large ditch. Lewis’ white Ford pickup hit the SUV with such force that it rolled over and was upside down. 

The black Mercedes was severely damaged, with  the driver’s side tire ripped from the vehicle, the court heard.

 An examination of the crash scene  showed there were no skid marks  that would indicate the pickup  tried to stop before T-boning the SUV. 

Both Lewis and Drummond were transported to Sentara Virginia Beach in serious condition. 

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Northampton County Deputy Montego Johnson testified he rode in the ambulance with Lewis. He said Lewis asked about the people in the other car and then told him he had been drinking and had used cocaine.  

At the hospital, Lewis again admitted to drinking and using cocaine when speaking with Virginia  State Trooper Kurt Johnson who investigated the crash. 

“He was concerned about the other people,” Johnson told the court. He arrested Lewis for DUI at 1:50 a.m. March 11.   

A blood test showed Lewis’ blood alcohol level at that time was between .17 and .19. As a result of the crash, Lewis received  a compound fracture of his leg. 

Defense attorney Thomas Northam presented no witnesses, but made a motion to find Lewis not guilty. He said the commonwealth had failed to meet the burden of significant and permanent bodily  injury as required by the statute. 

He said  Lewis did not show wanton, reckless and  gross disregard for human life, and that the commonwealth presented no medical testimony or evidence to support permanent damage to the victim.  

In response, Thornton argued that the “entirety of circumstances,” including running the red light, the fact there were no skid marks, substantial injuries to the victim, Lewis’ drinking to excess and admitted cocaine use, all showed a reckless disregard for human life. 

“It  forever changed her life. This is why this statute was written,” Thornton told the court. 

Judge W. Revell Lewis III found the defendant guilty of the felony charge of assault/maiming with DUI and another charge of DWI.

“The defendant went to The Shanty,” said Judge  Lewis. “He paid for five drinks, he was denied (a sixth) by the server. He was involved in a very serious auto accident.  He ran a red light. He was charged with DUI. While DUI, in a manner gross, wanton and culpable, he unintentionally caused serious bodily harm.

“The court finds she is permanently impaired. He had been drinking for several hours. He admitted to using cocaine. He didn’t say when he did it, but, it is fair to assume it wasn’t a week earlier. Mr. Lewis is guilty of both charges.” 

Northam asked that his client, who has no previous criminal record, remain free on bond. Judge Lewis granted that request, set Oct. 22 for sentencing, ordered a presentence report and suspended the defendant’s driver’s license “as of today.” 

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