Published on Tuesday, October 11, 2005
in the Daytona Beach News-Journal

Trial set to open today in trooper's death

DAYTONA BEACH -- The trial of a 39-year-old Seffner man accused of speeding and contributing to the October 2004 death of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper is expected to begin today.

Donald Williams, who remains held at the Volusia County Branch Jail, is charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and fleeing or attempting to elude in connection with the Oct. 2 crash on Interstate 4 in which Trooper Darryl Haywood died.

Haywood, 49, of Palm Coast was killed when a tire blew out on his cruiser as he pursued a motorcycle racing east at high speeds on the interstate between DeLand and Daytona Beach, authorities said.

A jury was picked Monday in Circuit Judge R. Michael Hutcheson's courtroom. The trial, which is expected to take more than a week, is scheduled to begin with opening arguments today.