A MICHIGAN MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH KILLING ONE WOMAN AND INJURING ANOTHER IN A CRASH ALLEGEDLY INVOLVING VERY HIGH SPEEDS AND ALCOHOL.
27 YEAR OLD JOHN A. MCNAMARA IS ACCUSED OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND ASSAULT AFTER ALLEGEDLY DRIVING AT MORE THAN 95 MILES PER HOUR UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL BEFORE THE CRASH.
PLATTE COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY ERIC ZAHND SAID CHARGES WERE FILED AUGUST 22 FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION BY MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL.
ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS, SHORTLY BEFORE 1:30 A.M. ON AUGUST 22, A CHEVROLET CAMARO ALLEGEDLY REAR-ENDED A PONTIAC G6 ON I-29 NEAR TIFFANY SPRINGS PARKWAY.
THE IMPACT SENT THE PONTIAC OFF THE ROAD, WHERE IT OVERTURNED.
THE PASSENGER OF THE PONTIAC, ABBY COCKRILL, AN EDUCATION MAJOR AT NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE AND STUDENT TEACHER IN PLATTE CITY, WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE, AND THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO AN AREA HOSPITAL FOR MODERATE INJURIES.
THE DRIVER OF THE CAMARO, MCNAMARA, WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL IN LIBERTY.
HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICERS MADE CONTACT WITH MCNAMARA AT THE HOSPITAL, WHOSE EYES WERE REPORTEDLY EXTREMELY BLOODSHOT AND WATERY.
OFFICERS ALSO REPORTED THAT HIS SPEECH WAS SLURRED, AND HE SMELLED OF A STRONG ODOR OF INTOXICANTS.
AN ANALYSIS BY THE HIGHWAY PATROL’S MAJOR CRASH INVESTIGATION UNIT ESTIMATED THAT MCNAMARA’S CAMARO WAS TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF 95 MILES PER HOUR AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION.
MCNAMARA IS BEING HELD IN THE PLATTE COUNTY JAIL IN LIEU OF A $250,000 CASH BOND. HE WAS ARRAIGNED IN PLATTE COUNTY ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT COURT ON AUGUST 24; HIS NEXT COURT APPEARANCE IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 31 AT 9:00 A.M.
IF CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, MCNAMARA FACES UP TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON. HE FACES UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED OF SECOND DEGREE ASSAULT.
