21-Year-Old Woman Only Has To Pay $500 Fine After Hitting, Killing Motorcyclist

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A woman who hit and killed a man in March of 2013 will face no greater legal repercussions than a $500 fine.

Elizabeth Meyers, 21, was pulling out onto Route 3 in Gambrills and heading towards a convenience store when she hit and killed 30-year-old Jonathan Roberts, who was riding his motorcycle.

The collision reportedly propelled Roberts into the air; he died at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie.

Authorities have said that Roberts had the right of way.

Officials have said that a witness reported seeing Meyers texting on a cellphone as she pulled onto the road.

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

Initially, the Anne Arundel County woman was facing six charges: negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, criminal negligent manslaughter, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to yield the right of way and text messaging while driving.

Two of the charges she had initially been facing – felony auto manslaughter and misdemeanor criminally negligent manslaughter – both carry jail time.

On Monday, however, the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office said that Meyers pleaded guilty to negligent driving, for which she was issued a $500 fine.

The six initial charges had been based on evidence at the scene and witness accounts. However, as a representative for the Attorney’s Office said, additional police work revealed conflicting evidence, which led to Meyers’ plea deal.

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

Accounting for the lessened sentence, in part, was the fact that although cellphone records have indicated that Meyers had sent text messages one to two minutes before the collision, they did not prove that she had been texting at the time of the collision.

Furthermore, although the witness reported that Meyers had not come to a complete stop before crossing the highway, Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said that a data recording device in the car indicated that she had, indeed, stopped.

“There’s no justice for my grandson, none at all. She’s going to walk free,” said the victim’s grandmother, Carol Meloy, after hearing of Meyers’ greatly reduced sentence.

Sources: http://www.wbaltv.com, http://www.baltimoresun.com

Photo Source: http://www.wbaltv.com

undefined